Friday, March 18, 2011

The fulfilling of the Red Heifer Sacrifice - did Yeshua fulfill this sacrifice and why is this important to us?

When people think of the word Yeshua/Jesus, there are many things that come to mind. Savior, redeemer, sin sacrifice and the Passover Lamb are several important ones for Christians of all persuasions. However, today I'd like to look at a sacrifice that is not well known to those of a Christian mind, but would be more acquanted with a Hebraic understanding of scripture. That sin sacrifice is what is known as the red heifer sacrifice, and this sacrifice is most important for Christians to understand when witnessing to Jews.
In Numbers 19, we see the red heifer sacrifice discussed: Out of all of the issues that are mentioned within Jewish history regarding the Torah, this particular issue is the only one known as "chok" within the Jewish faith, meaning it defies rational sense. The Talmud declares that out of the 613 commandments (taryag mitzvot), this is the only one that King Solomon could not fathom. There are several reasons why this is the case and it is unique for many reasons. 1). Its color was red and it was pure without defect. This sacrifice was the only one that was symbolic of the color representative of sin.
2). This red cow also happened to be very difficult to find, and was very rare. According to the Mishnah in Parah 3:5 there were 9 red heifers sacrificed and the 10th red heifer would be occur with the Mashiach at the time of the rebuilding of the temple. Given the temple's location has now moved to the body of Messiah, this is extremely significant. 3) It is the only sacrifice of blood mentioned in the Torah. 4) It was the only sacrifice that ritually contaminated the priest, but cleansed the people when being offered. 5) Its also the only sacrifice done outside of the camp of the levitical priesthood. 6) The items used to cleanse tzaraat or leprosy were burned along with this sacrifice. This would cleanse from defilement and uncleanness. 7) It was the only sacrifice mentioned that would cleanse those who came into contact with sin or death. 8) It was the only sacrifice where the ashes were collected and used, in this case mixing with water, giving a "water of separation".
The question obviously is why is this important? All of this is important because Yeshua categorically fulfilled every single necessary requirement for this sacrifice to have taken place, and from a Jewish perspective it is a sacrifice of utmost importance. According to John 8:46, Yeshua asks the Pharisees that he is speaking to why they can not hold him guilty of sin. The answer is given in 2 Corinthians 5:21 which states "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Rav Shaul tells us that Yeshua was without blemish, and thus he fulfills parts 1 and 4 of the criteria. Yeshua can also be seen to fulfill parts 3 and 5 given the writing from Hebrews 13:12 "and so Yeshua suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood." We also this in Matthew 26:26-28 26(A)While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and (B)after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; 28for (C)this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for (D)many for forgiveness of sins. " He was indeed sacrificed outside of the camp, fulfilling this part of the criteria and the covenant was poured out for the forgiveness of sins. Part 8 of the criteria can be found in Hebrews 10:22 "22let us (A)draw near with a sincere heart in (B)full assurance of faith, having our hearts (C)sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies (D)washed with pure water." We see the separation from sin with the water of separation through the ashes of the red heifer sacrifice as is being proclaimed by Rav Shaul here. Part 7 is fulfilled in Hebrews 12:24 " 24and to Jesus, the (A)mediator of a new covenant, and to the (B)sprinkled blood, which speaks better than (C)the blood of Abel." Finally, we see part 2 of the criteria of fulfilling the red heifer sacrifice with the temple moving after the time of the Mashiach by the body of believers pursuant to 1 Corinthians 3:16 "16(A)Do you not know that (B)you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
Many Jews will have already heard of this sacrifice and through the fulfilling of these criterion through Yeshua can see how unique Yeshua is through these fulfillments of this particular sacrifice. Those who are believers in Yeshua as the Mashiach but uncertain of the importance of this sacrifice might have issues with grasping the importance of what this sacrifice means for them. It would be important for those believers to read Hebrews 9:11-28 to fully grasp its significance. "11But when Christ appeared as a (A)high priest of the (B)good things [a]to come, He entered through (C)the greater and more perfect tabernacle, (D)not made with hands, that is to say, (E)not of this creation; 12and not through (F)the blood of goats and calves, but (G)through His own blood, He (H)entered the holy place (I)once for all, having obtained (J)eternal redemption. 13For if (K)the blood of goats and bulls and (L)the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14how much more will (M)the blood of Christ, who through (N)the eternal Spirit (O)offered Himself without blemish to God, (P)cleanse your conscience from (Q)dead works to serve (R)the living God? 15For this reason (S)He is the (T)mediator of a (U)new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been (V)called may (W)receive the promise of (X)the eternal inheritance. 16For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, [b]for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19For when every commandment had been (Y)spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, (Z)he took the (AA)blood of the calves and the goats, with (AB)water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both (AC)the book itself and all the people, 20saying, "(AD)THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU." 21And in the same way he (AE)sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22And according to the Law, one may (AF)almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and (AG)without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23Therefore it was necessary for the (AH)copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but (AI)the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24For Christ (AJ)did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of (AK)the true one, but into (AL)heaven itself, now (AM)to appear in the presence of God for us; 25nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as (AN)the high priest enters (AO)the holy place (AP)year by year with blood that is not his own. 26Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since (AQ)the foundation of the world; but now (AR)once at (AS)the consummation of the ages He has been (AT)manifested to put away sin (AU)by the sacrifice of Himself. 27And inasmuch as (AV)it is appointed for men to die once and after this (AW)comes judgment, 28so Christ also, having been (AX)offered once to (AY)bear the sins of many, will appear (AZ)a second time for (BA)salvation (BB)without reference to sin, to those who (BC)eagerly await Him." At this very point is where we see that Yeshua actually did fulfill this sacrifice and its importance to heaven. When Hasatan turned against God and brought angels down with him, heaven at that time became defiled. Through the Mashiach sprinkling his own ashes onto the real holy of holies in heaven, this sacrifice cleansed any sort of defilement in heaven that took place, and this allowed for the portals of the graves to be opened up as we can see happen in Matthew 27:52 "52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had (A)fallen asleep were raised." Now that heaven has been cleansed of defilement, man can now return to heaven to be with his Creator at the time that he dies and through the blood of the red heifer, we are separated from sin and death completely. Thank God for such a wonderful Mashiach..the perfect sin sacrifice and the one who paid it all, Yeshua ha Mashiach.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Upcoming work

In the next couple of weeks what we'll be looking at in commemoration of Pesach are the sacrifices that Yeshua fulfilled and how we know that Yeshua the Messiah fulfilled them. We'll be looking specifically at the Hebraic significance of the Passover Lamb sacrifice from Exodus and how it relates to Yeshua, and also looking at the red heifer sacrifice and its significance and how we can tell that Yeshua is indeed the 10th red heifer that many Jews are looking for today. We will also look at Aviv 1, its significance to Yeshua as his birthdate and the importance of God's appointed timeline.