Tag Archives: Numbers

How the Red Heifer Relates to Yeshua’s Death on the Cross

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How does the mysterious ritual of the red heifer relate to Yeshua’s atoning death on the cross? Below is a list points of how Yeshua’s death fulfilled every aspect of the curious red heifer ritual.

  • The heifer was to be pure red in color (Num 19:2). Red is the color of the stain of sin (Isa 1:18, “though your sins be as scarlet … red like crimson.”). Red is the color of the tzaaras skin infection dealt with in Leviticus 13:19, 24, 42–43. Red is also the color of clay earth out of which Elohim formed the first man naming him Adam (Strong’s H119/120) which means “ruddy, red, bloody or rosy in color.” Red is also the color of the Second Adam, Yeshua the Messiah, who was literally red, while being covered in his own blood while hanging on the cross as our sin sacrifice.
  • The red heifer was to be spotless and without blemish or defect (Num 19:2). More care was exercised in choosing a spotless cow than in any other sacrifice. This spotless purity represents Messiah Yeshua, the perfect, and sinless sacrifice.
  • The red cow had borne no yoke (Num 19:2). Similarly, Messiah was neither under the yoke of sin nor was beholden to or under bondage to any human, institution, government, religious system or anything else of an earthly nature.
  • The heifer was slain outside of the camp (Num 19:3). During the first and second temple eras the red heifer was slain on the Mount of Olives by the priests. The Mount of Olives was located off the Temple Mount and outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem (see The Pentateuch/Numbers, p. 329, by Samson Hirsch). Messiah Yeshua was sacrificed outside of the city gates of Jerusalem (Heb 13:12) and very possible, contrary to Christian tradition, on the Mount of Olives from which the front of the temple and the veil was clearly visible. Remember, the rent veil was visible from the place of crucifixion (Matt 27:51, 54; Mark 15:38–39).
  • The red heifer was to be slaughtered and then totally burnt (Num 19:5). This represents the burning and agonizing death and suffering of Messiah on the cross. Messiah suffered in body, soul and spirit (Isa 53) to atone for man’s sin.
  • The red heifer is just one more of the many shadow pictures that point to the Suffering Servant Messiah found in Torah. Other of these antetypes or prophetic shadow-pictures include: Continue reading →
 

Tzitzits Encounters of the Spiritual Kind

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Numbers 15:37–41, Put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. In this passage of scripture, YHVH instructs the Israelites to wear a tassel of blue thread attached to the four corners of their garments. Why? So that when they would look on these tassels they will remember to do all the commandments of YHVH and to be set-apart (or holy) unto Elohim. They were to wear tzitzit as a sign of being set-apart forever!

The tassels or tzitzits are not unlike the wedding ring one wears as a physical and outwardly visible reminder of one’s marriage vows and commitment to one’s spouse.

Yeshua wore tzitzits (see Matt 9:20; Mark 14:36; the Greek word for hem means “tassel”).

An unintended benefit of wearing tzitzit—other than fulfilling the Torah command to do so—is that when people see you wearing them, they will often ask you what they are. This has given us many opportunities to share the message of the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith with those around us. Though not their primary purpose, tzitzits can, nevertheless, become an evangelism tool. This has happened to me many times.

Please share with the readers of this blog spiritual encounters you have had while wearing your tzitzits.

For more information on the law of the fringes, read my article on the subject at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/tzitzit.pdf.

 

 

The Aaronic Blessing

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Numbers 6:22–27, The Aaronic Blessing is about the power of blessing and the power of our words. The Scriptures teach us that our words can heal, build up and encourage, or kill, tear down and curse, that the power of life and death is in the tongue. What kind of words come from your mouth—especially to your spouse and children? Charity begins at home. How often do you speak blessings over your children and spouse? Do you bless those who curse you?

The Levitical priesthood was one of YHVH’s blessings or marriage gifts to his bride, Israel. It was given to her at the time of their marriage to him at Mount Sinai. The Aaronic or Priestly Blessings of Numbers 6:22–27 indicate that the priests were to be a conduit of YHVH’s blessings to his people. The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash correctly states it this way: “[The priests did not] have any independent power to confer or withhold blessings—only God can assure people of success, abundance, and happiness—but that part of their Temple service is to be the conduit through which God’s blessing would be pronounced on His people” (p. 762). Hirsch in his commentary on the priestly blessing states that it is Jewish tradition for the human instrument conveying the blessing to raise his hands (vertically and not horizontally) to heaven while reciting this blessing so as not to give the people the impression that the priest is conveying the blessing, but that it is coming from heaven (The Pentateuch Numbers, p. 99, Judaica Press). The Jewish sages further note that in Numbers 6:22–23, the Torah uses the word saying three times to emphasize the fact that the blessings flow from YHVH to the Israelites and are to be passed on to subsequent generations. We are YHVH’s priesthood now (“a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a kadosh nation, a peculiar people,” 1 Peter 2:9). Are you an instrument of blessing everywhere you go? Do you ask YHVH to use you every day to spread the light of his truth and his love to others?

The Aaronic Blessing can be subdivided into three sections:

(a) The First Blessing: May YHVH bless you and safeguard you. The Jewish sages take this to refer to the material and physical blessings that Torah obedience brings as enumerated in Deuteronomy 28:1–14. This includes good health, wealth, divine protection and victory over enemies. YHVH’s blessing and his safeguarding of those blessings from those who would kill, steal and destroy them go hand-in-hand. The sages teach that “the best way for someone to preserve his wealth is to use it for charity and good deeds. That assures him of God’s continued blessing” (Ibid. p. 763).

(b) The Second Blessing: May YHVH illuminate his countenance for you and be gracious to you. The sages teach that this illumination refers to the light of the Torah and they cite Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is a light.” Compare this with what John said about Yeshua in John 1:1–14; 8:12; 9:5. YHVH’s grace involves him granting his people Torah knowledge, wisdom and understanding to utilize Torah properly and fully; to use the insights gained therefrom to comprehend his purposes (Ibid. p. 763).

(c) The Third Blessing: May YHVH lift his countenance and establish peace/shalom for you. In Hebraic thought, the idea of YHVH’s face or countenance shining toward his people is a metaphor of divine grace and favor. Contrariwise, when his face is turned against his people, this represents divine disapproval and shame upon his people (For examples of this in the Scriptures see Pss 4:6; 31:16; 67:1 cp. Lev 17:10; 20:5, 6, 17; Deut 31:17; 2 Chron 30:9; Ps 34:16 ; Jer 44:11; Ezek 7:22.). The sages note that peace is an essential component of the other blessings, for what good is physical blessings and spiritual insight if one’s life is devoid of peace? What is the Jewish concept of peace? It is balance, which is the absence of strife between the opposing forces in one’s life. Sin disrupts this balance and causes strife and warfare as well as creating a barrier between YHVH and his people (Read what Yeshua, the greatest Rabbi of all, taught about this in Matthew 5:23–24.). When such strife and barriers exist causing the negation of peace, what are some things one must do to restore the peace? After all, Yeshua said, “Blessed [Happy] are the peacemakers …” Does peace just happen or is it necessary to exert effort to create it? Can there be peace where there is sin (i.e., Torahlessness)? Does it logically follow that the more our ways line up with the Torah of YHVH, the more our ways are pleasing to him, the more peace we will experience in all our relationships? (Read Proverbs 16:7.)

Within this priestly blessing, is it possible to discern the voices of the Father, the Son and the Set-Apart Spirit? For example, in verses 22 and 23, the word “saying” occurs three times, and this blessing is divided into three parts.


 

One Law for All!

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Numbers 9:14, You shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land. (Cross reference with Exod 12:49; Lev 24:22; Num 15:15, 16, 29). In this verse and in other Torah references, YHVH is clear: There is only ONE Torah-law for the Israelites, and those Gentiles who attach themselves to Israel. Stated otherwise, YHVH has ONE standard of righteousness for all people—not one for the Israelites and a different one for the Gentiles.

This is not what many of the false teachers in the church teach, however! They teach that YHVH gave one set of laws to the Jews, and that somehow, many of these same commandments don’t apply to “Gentile” Christians.

This is incongruous with the clear teachings of the prophets, Yeshua and the apostles!

The Torah and the prophets, in many places, spoke of the Gentiles (or the peoples of the nations) being drawn to the light of Israel, which is the Torah (including the Messiah of Israel, who is the Living Torah). They also prophesied that lost and scattered Israel (who become Gentiles) would repent of their Torahless ways and return to the Torah in the end times. They also predicted the time when the Torah would be written on the hearts of his people when he would make a new covenant with them.

Moreover, Yeshua said that not one jot or tittle of the Torah would pass away as long as the heavens and earth still existed, and that the righteous would be judged on the basis of the Torah to determine their eternal rewards.

The apostles confirmed the words of the Torah, calling it holy, just and good. Even Paul strongly stated that the message of grace in no way invalidates the Torah as the standard of righteousness for the saints. The writer of Hebrews (quoting Jeremiah the prophet) declares that YHVH will write the Torah on the hearts of his people. Then John in the Book of Revelation describes the end-times saints as those who keep YHVH’s (Torah) commandments and have the testimony of Yeshua.

Despite all this, for nearly 2000 years, numerous false teachers in the church have been saying the opposite. They have devised a plethora clever and mind-numbing arguments that twist the clear word of Elohim to say the opposite—that there are two laws for YHVH’s people: one for the Jews and one for the Christians. These doctrines of men by which the word of Elohim has been made of none-effect became institutionalized and cast into the concrete foundation of the Catholic Church and passed on to her many offshoot daughters.

Many of you have had to deprogram yourself from this way of thinking—that YHVH has two standards of righteousness—one for the Jews and one for the rest of the us.

Would you care share your testimony about your spiritual journey in this regard?