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The BibleTruth.cc Torah Study Series Parashat Emor "Say" Vayiqra [Leviticus] 21:1-24:23 rmoða/ Say to the priests...Theme The theme of this Torah portion is a continuation of the theme of Parashat Kedoshim. That theme is the maintaining of the set-apartness (holiness) of the community of Israel in the matters of the priesthood, their offerings, their appointment days, the objects in the tent of meeting, and in the matters of injury to the name of Yahuwah and injury to one another. Sedarim Rules for the Cohen Gadol (High Priest) Instructions About Conditions Which Restrict Who May Approach the Sanctuary The Priests Use of the Offerings Offerings Acceptable to Yahuwah Prophetic Pictures in this Week's Torah Portion Prophetic End Time Shadows in the Torah Parashah Rules
for the Priests
21:1 Yahuwah said to Mosheh, "Say to the priests - the sons of Aharon
- and say to them: 'A priest must not make himself unclean for any
of his people who die, 2 except for a close
relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his
brother, 3 or an unmarried
sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband-- for her he may
make himself unclean. 4 He must not make
himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile
himself. 5 "'Priests must not
shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their
bodies. 6 They must be holy
to their Elohim and must not profane the name of their Elohim. Because
they present the offerings made to Yahuwah by fire, the food of their
Elohim, they are to be holy.
Priests are called to minister in the set-apart place of Yahuwah and thus
must separate themselves from all that is unclean. In this Torah
portion, the focus is on avoiding the uncleanness incurred by coming
into contact with the body of a dead person. Priests may only
become defiled for a few select close relatives.
The whole of verses 1-6 are speaking to a particular situation: things not
to be done on behalf of a dead person. Priests are told that they
may not defile themselves (i.e. participate in the funeral by touching a
corpse) except in the case of a brother, a sister, a mother, a father or
a close relative. The instruction does not mention his own wife,
although it does say he may not defile himself for people related to
her. Presumably, the "close relative" would include his wife.
The prohibition instructed to the priests who are told not to shave off the
corner of their beards also comes in the context of things done during
funeral activities; that is, "for the dead." Such is the practice
of the pagans:
Leviticus 21:1 Then Yahuwah said to
Mosheh, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aharon, and say to them: 'No one
shall defile himself for a dead person among his people....
Then on the tail of that instruction comes verse 5:
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The popular English Bible translations render this verse as follows:
Leviticus 21:5 They shall not make baldness
upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard,
nor make any cuttings in their flesh. (king jimmy version)
Leviticus 21:5 They shall not make any
baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make
any cuts in their flesh. (NAS)
Leviticus 21:5 Priests must not shave their
heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. (NIV)
Leviticus 21:5 They shall not shave smooth
any part of their heads, or cut the side-growth of their beards, or make
gashes in their flesh. (New Living)
I would render it (literally) this way:
They shall not make baldness on their heads, and the sides of their beard
they shall not shave, and in their flesh they shall not cut incisions. This sounds very much like the prohibitions of
Devarim 14:1 which were clearly shown to be instructions concerning
prohibitions concerning activities associated with mourning for the dead. So, Vayiqra
(Leviticus) 21:5 also, when the immediate context is consulted (verses
1-4), is referring to mourning customs of the pagans. The priests
of Yahuwah, who are especially called to be set-apart from sin and
sinful practices, are called to be especially pure and clean. By
completely avoiding engagement in practices of the pagans who mourn for
their dead by cutting their flesh and body hair, priests can be a
testimony to the purity of the Creator. Furthermore, the priests... 7 "'They must not
marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands,
because priests are holy to their Elohim. 8 Regard them as
holy, because they offer up the food of your Elohim. Consider them holy,
because I Yahuwah am holy-- I who make you holy. 9 "'If a priest's
daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her
father; she must be burned in the fire. Priests are also limited in their
selection of a wife. They can only marry virgin daughters of
Israel, or a woman whose husband has died. Daughters of priests
who "play around" are considered prostitutes and are to be put to death
by burning.
Rules for the Cohen
Gadol (High Priest) The high priest has even greater
restrictions for his separation from things unclean: 10 "'The high
priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured
on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments,
must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. 11 He must not enter
a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean,
even for his father or mother, 12 nor leave the
sanctuary of his Elohim or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated
by the anointing oil of his Elohim. I am Yahuwah. 13 "'The woman he
marries must be a virgin. 14 He must not marry
a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only
a virgin from his own people, 15 so he will not
defile his offspring among his people. I am Yahuwah, who makes him holy.
'" The cohen hagadol (high
priest) must always keep his hair neat on his hair. He cannot just
let it go natural and wild. His hair is an indication of the
dignity of the office he holds. And he must never tear his
clothes. Caiaphas, the high priest during Messiah Yahusha's trial,
tore his garment in transgression of the Torah. He did so because
the Rabbinic law commands a priest to tear his clothing when he hears
blasphemy. But the Pharisees and Rabbis commonly hold to their own
traditions and man-made laws when they contradict the written Torah.
(By the way, Yahusha did not blaspheme. The Jews refused to hear
his testimony of the truth.) The restriction on the high priest
is greater in the case of mourning for the dead. He is not allowed
to defile himself for any close relative - even for his mother or
father. Nor is he allowed to leave his duties of ministering in
the sanctuary. His work is for the duration of his working life. The cohen hagadol can only
marry a virgin and no one else. Period. "'But the priests, who are
Levites and descendants of Zadok and who faithfully carried out the
duties of my sanctuary when the sons of Yisrael went astray from me, are
to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer
sacrifices of fat and blood, declares Adonai Yahuwah. They alone
are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to
minister before me and perform my service. "'When they enter the
gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes; they must not
wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner
court or inside the temple. They are to wear linen turbans on
their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not
wear anything that makes them perspire. When they go out into the
outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they
have been ministering in and are to leave them in the set apart rooms,
and put on other clothes, so that they do not consecrate the people by
means of their garments. "'They must not shave their heads or let
their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads
trimmed. No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner
court. They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may
marry only virgins of Yisraelite descent or widows of priests.
They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the
common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the
clean. "'In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and
decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my
decrees for all my appointments, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.
"'A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however,
if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or
unmarried sister, then he may defile himself. After he is
cleansed, he must wait seven days. On the day he goes into the
inner court of the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he is to
offer a sin offering for himself, declares Adonai Yahuwah. "'I am
to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no
possession in Yisrael; I will be their possession. They will eat
the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and
everything in Yisrael devoted to Yahuwah will belong to them. The
best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to
the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal
so that a blessing may rest on your household. The priests must
not eat anything, bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals. The haftarah portion consists of the
vision the prophet Yechezqel (Ezekiel) had of the Messianic Age.
He saw the Temple and the Prince Moschiach and the conduct of the Temple
Site during the Messianic Age. Of interest to us is that the Laws
of the Temple are strikingly similar (some would say that they are the
exact same laws) to those given in the Torah for the temple, the
priests, the offerings, etc. That should not surprise us because
Yahuwah does not change, so neither do his standards of conduct change,
whether in the distant past or in the distant future.
Instructions About Conditions Which Restrict Who May Approach the
Sanctuary 16 Yahuwah said to
Mosheh, 17 "Say to Aharon:
'For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect
may come near to offer the food of his Elohim. 18 No man who has
any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or
deformed; 19 no man with a
crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is
hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering
or running sores or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of
Aharon the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the
offerings made to Yahuwah by fire. He has a defect; he must not come
near to offer the food of his Elohim. 22 He may eat the
most holy food of his Elohim, as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of
his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and
so desecrate my sanctuary. I am Yahuwah, who makes them holy. '" 24 So Mosheh told
this to Aharon and his sons and to all the sons of Yisrael. Because Yahuwah is holy and perfect
in all his ways, those who approach him must be beyond reproach and
perfect in the laws of holiness. The Hebrew concept of tamim
speaks of that which is complete, whole, entire, sound,
healthful, entire, wholesome, unimpaired,
innocent, having integrity. Thus, anyone who has any
impairment, defect, disfigurement, or who has body parts missing is
ineligible to approach the throne of Elohim with offerings. As a descendant of Aharon, such are
allowed to eat the food offered to priests, but they may not approach
the place where Yahuwah dwells.
The Priests Use of the
Offerings
22:1 Yahuwah said to Mosheh, 2 "Tell Aharon and
his sons to treat with respect the set apart offerings the sons of
Yisrael consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am
Yahuwah. 3 "Say to them: 'For
the generations to come, if any of your descendants is unclean and yet
comes near the set apart offerings that the sons of Yisrael consecrate
to Yahuwah, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am Yahuwah. 4 "'If a descendant
of Aharon has an infectious skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may
not eat the set apart offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be
unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has
an emission of semen, 5 or if he touches
any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him
unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. 6 The one who
touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any
of the set apart offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. 7 When the sun goes
down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the set apart
offerings, for they are his food. 8 He must not eat
anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean
through it. I am Yahuwah. 9 "'The priests are
to keep my requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for
treating them with contempt. I am Yahuwah, who makes them holy. 10 "'No one outside
a priest's family may eat the set apart offering, nor may the guest of a
priest or his hired worker eat it. 11 But if a priest
buys a slave with money, or if a slave is born in his household, that
slave may eat his food. 12 If a priest's
daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the
set apart contributions. 13 But if a priest's
daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she
returns to live in her father's house as in her youth, she may eat of
her father's food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat any of it. 14 "'If anyone eats
a set apart offering by mistake, he must make restitution to the priest
for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it. 15 The priests must
not desecrate the set apart offerings the sons of Yisrael present to
Yahuwah 16 by allowing them
to eat the set apart offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring
payment. I am Yahuwah, who makes them holy.'"
Offerings Acceptable to
Yahuwah
17 18 "Speak to Aharon and his sons and to all the sons of Yisrael and say to them: 'If any of you-- either an Yisraelite or an alien living in Yisrael-- presents a gift for a burnt offering to Yahuwah, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, 19 you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. 20 Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. 21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to Yahuwah to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. 22 Do not offer to Yahuwah the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as an offering made to Yahuwah by fire. 23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. 24 You must not offer to Yahuwah an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, 25 and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your Elohim. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.'"
26 Yahuwah said to Mosheh, 27 "When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made to Yahuwah by fire. 28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day. 29 "When you sacrifice a thank offering to Yahuwah, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am Yahuwah. 31 "Keep my commands and follow them. I am Yahuwah. 32 Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the sons of Yisrael. I am Yahuwah, who makes you holy 33 and who brought you out of Mitzrayim to be your Elohim. I am Yahuwah."
The Appointments of Yahuwah
23:1 Yahuwah said to Mosheh, 2 "Speak to the sons
of Yisrael and say to them: 'These are my appointments, the appointments
of Yahuwah, which you are to proclaim as set apart assemblies. 3 "'There are six
days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day
of set apart assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it
is a Sabbath to Yahuwah. In
Vayiqra 23, we are given greater insight into the positive commandment
for required activity on the Sabbath day. Here, we find clear
explanation of how Elohim wants us to spend the seventh day. First, we are informed that the Sabbath is an
appointed time. Appointed times, in the Bible, are firmly
established dates on the Hebrew calendar which have a specific purpose
and for which there are specific activities which are commanded.
These appointed times, of which the Sabbath day is the first, are dates
which foreshadow specific events in the redemption in which Yahuwah
performed or will perform some aspect of the work of redemption and
salvation for his people. Thus, his people are called to observe
these days and participate in the activities of these days to practice
and rehearse and remember the works of Elohim in redeeming them. Furthermore, these appointed times point to
specific aspects of the work of Messiah in rescuing his people from the
bondage of sin and leading them into maturity such that they are ready
to assume position in the Messianic Age. The Pesach, or Passover,
for example, pictured the rescue of the sons of Israel from the bondage
of Pharaoh in Egypt, and pointed forward to Messiah's death on the tree
to free his people from the bondage of sin. Messiah, in fact, died
on the very anniversary of Pesach, and exhorted his disciples to
remember him and his shed blood and broken body when they observed
Pesach going forward. Similarly, the Sabbath day is an appointment
which Elohim has made with his people to meet with them and to be the
focus and attention of their time, their adoration and their praise.
In the beginning, the Sabbath day was the first of a perpetual weekly
meeting with the man and woman he formed from the dust of the ground.
Later, the Sabbath day was the day on which Messiah Yahusha did many of
his mighty miracles of restoring sick and dying people to live and
fellowship with him. The Sabbath, furthermore, foreshadows the
Messianic Age, when Elohim, in the person of Messiah Yahusha, will
dwell with men on the earth. The Sabbath day, as a weekly appointment, is to
be the set time in which Yahuwah meets with his people and communicates
with his people. It is that appointment, which if we miss, we will
miss out on fellowship and relationship with the living Elohim. Next, we are told that on the seventh day, the
sons of Israel are to have "a set-apart assembly." Six days work may be done, but on the
seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, a set-apart
assembly (vs 3). The expression "set-apart assembly" is in Hebrew miqra
kodesh. Kodesh means "set-apart." It is
"separated" unto a special purpose. That purpose is defined by the
Hebrew word miqra. The word miqra
(Hebrew ar'q.mi
) occurs in Vayiqra 23:2: Speak to the sons of Yisrael and tell them, 'These are
Yahuwah's appointed times which you must proclaim as set-apart assemblies (miqras)--my
appointed times.' In the above translation, it is rendered by the English
"assemblies." But let's first dig down to the root meaning of miqra. The Hebrew/Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament defines
our word as follows: explanation, reading; basic meaning:
calling; 1. a) summons: b) assembly 2. reading, recitation. "Miqra" comes from the root
qara' which means to "call, call upon, proclaim, read." Thus, miqra' means "reading" or "proclamation." So, these
days which are named in Vayiqra 23, including first of all the Sabbath day, are to be times when the message of Scripture
is "proclaimed" by the "reading" and explanation of the Scriptures. Again, these miqras are said to be qodesh: "holy" or "set-apart."
The reading/proclamation which is to occur on these days is not just any reading
or proclamation. It is to be a set-apart time when the set-apart Scriptures are to be
read and proclaimed. This is the activity which should fill the Sabbath
day. Elohim is to be met with, the Scriptures read and proclaimed.
And Elohim is to be praised through thanksgiving and song, and petitioned
through our prayers as we humbly bow down before him. 4 "'These are
Yahuwah's appointments, the set apart assemblies you are to proclaim at
their appointed times: 5 Yahuwah's Pesach
begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6 On the fifteenth
day of that month Yahuwah's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven
days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day
hold a set apart assembly and do no regular work. 8 For seven days
present an offering made to Yahuwah by fire. And on the seventh day hold
a set apart assembly and do no regular work.'" 9 Yahuwah said to
Mosheh, 10 "Speak to the
sons of Yisrael and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to
give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the
first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the
sheaf before Yahuwah so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest
is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 On the day you
wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to Yahuwah a lamb
a year old without defect, 13 together with its
grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil--
an offering made to Yahuwah by fire, a pleasing aroma-- and its drink
offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. 14 You must not eat
any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this
offering to your Elohim. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the
generations to come, wherever you live. 15 "'From the day
after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering,
count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty
days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an
offering of new grain to Yahuwah. 17 From wherever you
live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour,
baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to Yahuwah. 18 Present with this
bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young
bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to Yahuwah, together
with their grain offerings and drink offerings-- an offering made by
fire, an aroma pleasing to Yahuwah. 19 Then sacrifice
one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a
fellowship offering. 20 The priest is to
wave the two lambs before Yahuwah as a wave offering, together with the
bread of the firstfruits. They are a set apart offering to Yahuwah for
the priest. 21 On that same day
you are to proclaim a set apart assembly and do no regular work. This is
to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you
live. 22 "'When you reap
the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or
gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the
alien. I am Yahuwah your Elohim.'" 23 Yahuwah said to
Mosheh, 24 "Say to the sons
of Yisrael: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day
of rest, a set apart assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular
work, but present an offering made to Yahuwah by fire.'" 26 Yahuwah said to
Mosheh, 27 "The tenth day of
this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a set apart assembly
and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to Yahuwah by fire. 28 Do no work on
that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for
you before Yahuwah your Elohim. 29 Anyone who does
not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. 30 I will destroy
from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no
work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to
come, wherever you live. 32 It is a sabbath
of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the
ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe
your sabbath." 33 Yahuwah said to
Mosheh, 34 "Say to the sons
of Yisrael: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month Yahuwah's Feast
of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is
a set apart assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days
present offerings made to Yahuwah by fire, and on the eighth day hold a
set apart assembly and present an offering made to Yahuwah by fire. It
is the closing assembly; do no regular work. 37 "'These are
Yahuwah's appointments, which you are to proclaim as set apart
assemblies for bringing offerings made to Yahuwah by fire-- the burnt
offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required
for each day. 38 These offerings
are in addition to those for Yahuwah's Sabbaths and in addition to your
gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you
give to Yahuwah. 39 "'So beginning
with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the
crops of the land, celebrate the festival to Yahuwah for seven days; the
first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. 40 On the first day
you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy
branches and poplars, and rejoice before Yahuwah your Elohim for seven
days. 41 Celebrate this as
a festival to Yahuwah for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting
ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh
month. 42 Live in booths
for seven days: All native-born sons of Yisrael are to live in booths 43 so your
descendants will know that I had the sons of Yisrael live in booths when
I brought them out of Mitzrayim. I am Yahuwah your Elohim.'" 44 So Mosheh
announced to the sons of Yisrael the appointments of Yahuwah. There is a difference between a
feast and a set-apart assembly. Certain feast days are set-apart
assemblies. And only a few set-apart assemblies are feast days.
These are not the same! A popular teaching in the Messianic
assemblies brings confusion about this. They speak about "the
seven festivals of the Messiah." Yet, there is no such thing as
seven festivals of the Messiah. The Hebrew word
gx; (pronounced hăg with a
guttural h) means to make pilgrimage, keep a pilgrim-feast.
This word is never used of the above four days of observance. Chag
is only and exclusively used of the Feast (chag) of Unleavened
Bread, the Feast (chag) of Shavuot and the Feast (chag) of
Sukkot. So, 4 of these so-called 7 Festivals of the Messiah are not
even Festivals in their own right, at least if the Bible has anything to
say about it. The four days of observance are important appointment
days of Yahuwah, but they are not Feasts. The teaching of the "Seven
Festivals of the Messiah" are not biblical (as such) and are a false way
of representing the real biblical Feasts and the appointed days of the
Torah. The truth of the matter is that
there are 7 set-apart appointment days, which do not correlate exactly
with the so-called 7 Festivals of the Messiah. These 7 set-apart days
are days on which no work is allowed. They are named in Vayiqra 23.
And it is also clear in the Torah that there were 3 (three) annual
Festivals, not seven, as we pointed out above. The three biblical
festivals are those in which all are required to travel to Yerushalayim
to bring the tithes of the seasonal harvests to present before Yahuwah. The appointments of Yahuwah are
prophetic pictures of the redemptive work of Messiah. You have heard that it has been said,
"The feasts were for ancient Israel. They reminded Israel of
Elohim's mighty hand working for them" But I would suggest to
you that there is much more to those old festivals and set-apart
days than just what the Almighty did for ancient Israel. Yes,
they were given to Israel, and yes, the festivals taught and
reminded Israel of Elohim's mighty hand working on their
behalf. The appointed times held a great deal of meaning for
the Israelites of old. It speaks to their history. It told of
the wonderful acts of Elohim performed on their behalf. It even
told of their future. But most Christian denominations firmly
contend that the usefulness of the feasts ended at the death of
Messiah. "They were nailed to the cross," they say! "They are
no longer relevant for the life of the New Testament church.
They are part of the old covenant which has been done away with
and replaced by the New." Can this be? Could this be right?
Hardly! As a matter of fact, the Feasts are more
relevant to the life of the New Testament church than they ever
were to the life of the ancient Israelites. Many of the Old Testament ethical
mandates ("do not kill," "do not commit adultery," etc.) which
are repeated in the New Testament were also linked to that old
sacrificial system. But their connection to the sacrificial
system does not negate their relevance for today, does it? We
must apply this same thought process to the Holy Days. In his
earlier writings on the Sabbath (From Sabbath to Sunday,
divine Rest for human Restlessness, The Sabbath in the New
Testament), Samuele Bachiocchi had suggested that the feasts
were done away with because of their connection with the
Levitical system. But in a recent publication, God's
Festivals in Scripture and History, Vol. 1, p.13, Bachiocchi
describes his change of mind when he investigated the biblical
feasts for himself: A fourth surprise was to discover
that I was wrong in assuming that the annual Feasts came to an
end with the sacrifice of Christ, simply because they were
connected with the sacrificial system of the Temple. I came to
realize that the continuity or discontinuity of the Feasts is
determined not by their connection with the sacrificial system,
but by the scope of their typology. If the Feasts had typified
only the redemptive accomplishments of Christ's first Advent,
then obviously their function would have terminated at the
Cross. But, if the Feasts foreshadow also the consummation of
redemption to be accomplished by Christ at His second Advent,
then their function continues in the Christian church, though
with a new meaning and manner of observance. The moadim are not terminated just
because they were connected to the sacrificial system just
because the writer of Hebrews tells us of that which is
"obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear"
(Hebrews 8:13). We must, as Bacchiocchi did, determine the
relevance (continuity) of the moadim based upon their
purpose, meaning and their fulfillment. It is plain to see that there is a great
deal more fulfillment to take place of those things which the
Appointments foreshadow. These days are, indeed, a shadow or
foreshadow of things yet to come! Bachiocchi continues: It came as a pleasant surprise to
discover that the typology and function of the Feasts reach
beyond the Cross to the ultimate consummation of redemption. The
typology of Passover, for example, was initially fulfilled when
Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed to deliver us from
the bondage of sin. Yet there is still a future and ultimate
fulfillment of Passover at the End, when Christ will deliver His
people from the great tribulation and invite them to participate
in "the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Rev 19:9). Christ Himself
pointed to this future fulfillment of Passover when He said: "I
have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I
suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat of it until it is
fulfilled in the kingdom of God" (Luke 22:16). In this statement
Christ makes it clear that the ultimate fulfillment of Passover
will be at the End with the establishment of God's kingdom. The Day of the Trumpet Blast has a future
fulfillment in the coming (parousia) of the Messiah. The
Day of Atonement has a future fulfillment in Elohim's judgment
of the world. And the Feast of Tabernacles has a future
fulfillment in the kingdom of the Messiah on the earth. In
other words, the appointed days have not been discontinued! All
of them still have meaning for the present and most of them have
a fulfillment in the future! In fact, what the Israelites
understood by the annual appointments was only part of their
purpose and meaning! The primary meaning of the moadim
pertains to the redemptive work of the Messiah for the
salvation of his people! And this work is not yet
completed. Please do not misunderstand. What the Messiah
accomplished on the tree is complete in itself, that is, it is
all one needs to find complete forgiveness of sins and to find a
restored relationship with Elohim. But salvation is not yet
complete until the Messiah returns, raises the dead, establishes
his kingdom of righteousness and restores creation. So it is
fair to say that the Messiah's work of redemption is not yet
complete. The appointed times were established
by Elohim (not by Mosheh) to teach and remind His assembled
people about his redemptive acts - both those accomplished in
Mitzrayim (Egypt) and those performed and accomplished by the
Messiah. The spring and fall festival seasons depict the two
advents of the Messiah. The spring feast pictured the Messiah's
accomplishments at his first coming. And the autumn
appointments depict the yet unfinished accomplishments of
redemption which will soon take place at his second coming! Did the Israelites understand these
things? I think not! They couldn't have! Most of them didn't
even understand that Yahusha would come the first time to suffer
and die for the sins of his people. They completely
misunderstood the purpose of his first coming. Many were
welcoming him to Jerusalem as their Deliverer and King, while
Yahusha was coming to sacrifice his life to become their Savior
and Redeemer. Thus, the Israelis then and today, do not
fully understand the meaning and pictures of the set apart
days. Only those who recognize Yahusha of Nazareth as the
Messiah of prophesy can understand that the appointments,
thousands of years in advance, depicted the work of the Messiah
in its two phases. The following chart summarizes the
primary meaning of the events surrounding the appointed days.
It illustrates Elohim's work of redemption through the Messiah
for those who place their faith in him: Work of the Messiah for All Explanation Pesach Elohim delivering His people from the bondage of sin
through the death of Yahusha. Chag HaMatzot Bikkurim A foreshadowing of the resurrection of all believers. Feast of Shavuot Elohim gave the Torah on the 1st Pentecost, then gave
the Set-apart Spirit who empowers us to obey the Torah
on Pentecost of Acts 2 Elohim fulfills his promise to "put my law in your
hearts and minds" by indwelling believers by His
Spirit. Yom Teruah Yom HaKippurim Chag HaSukkot The appointments of Yahuwah as listed
here in Leviticus 23 are perhaps even more relevant to those who
embrace Messiah than they were to the ancient Israelis! Oil for
the Lampstand
24:1 Yahuwah said to Mosheh, 2 "Command the sons
of Yisrael to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so
that the lamps may be kept burning continually. 3 Outside the
curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Appointment, Aharon is to tend
the lamps before Yahuwah from evening till morning, continually. This is
to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 4 The lamps on the
pure gold lampstand before Yahuwah must be tended continually. The theme of maintaining
set-apartness is continued as we shift to the sanctuary. The
Lampstand which is located in front of the curtain concealing the most
holy place is to be constantly maintained. It's lamps are to burn
continually (tamid). So the priests must keep it filled
with clear oil. The theme of continuity of the
sanctuary speaks to the constant and continual vigilance of Yahuwah
himself, who never sleeps nor slumbers, but is always present and aware
of all that is happening. Bread for
the Table
5 "Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using
two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. 6 Set them in two
rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before Yahuwah. 7 Along each row put
some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be
an offering made to Yahuwah by fire. 8 This bread is to
be set out before Yahuwah regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of
the sons of Yisrael, as a lasting covenant. 9 It belongs to
Aharon and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, because it is a
most holy part of their regular share of the offerings made to Yahuwah
by fire, an eternal decree." Maintaining the Bread on the table
is also part of the priests duty. The bread represents the Torah,
the Bread of Life, which is set out on the table every Sabbath, just as
we meet on the appointed day of Sabbath to read and digest the Torah of
Yahuwah. This is the bread that sustains each one of us, which is
why there are twelve loaves, representing all the family who belong to
Yahuwah. In Devarim 8:3, we are told that the hungering in the
wilderness was to teach us that "man does not live by bread alone, but
by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Elohim." This show
bread is a reminder, as the priests eat is each day, that we are
sustained by the Torah of Elohim just as much as the bread we eat. The
Case of a Blasphemer
10 Now the son of an Yisraelite mother and an Mitzrite father
went out among the sons of Yisrael, and a fight broke out in the camp
between him and an Yisraelite. 11 The son of the
Yisraelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him
to Mosheh. (His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the
Danite.) 12 They put him in
custody until the will of Yahuwah should be made clear to them. 13 Then Yahuwah said
to Mosheh: 14 "Take the
blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their
hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. 15 Say to the sons
of Yisrael: 'If anyone curses his Elohim, he will be held responsible; 16 anyone who
blasphemes the name of Yahuwah must be put to death. The entire assembly
must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the
Name, he must be put to death. Of utmost priority in the life of
holiness is to keep the Name of Yahuwah in respect and dignity.
This section of our Torah portion speaks to a case when a man mishandles
and injures the Name of Yahuwah. The setting was a fight between
this man and another. In the course of the struggle, the man
cursed the Name, which causes injury to the reputation and honor of
Yahuwah. They brought the man to Mosheh to
see what should be done about the slander of the Name. Yahuwah
decided that such outbreak of disrespect for the Name is punishable by
death by stoning. Next, in what may seem off topic,
the instructions take us to Personal Injury Law. But the reason
these mishpatim are given here is to respond to the issue of the quarrel
between the two men. 17 "'If anyone takes
the life of a human being, he must be put to death. 18 Anyone who takes
the life of someone's animal must make restitution-- life for life. 19 If anyone injures
his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 fracture for
fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so
he is to be injured. 21 Whoever kills an
animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to
death. 22 You are to have
the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am Yahuwah your
Elohim.'" These instructions are taken mostly
from Parashat Mishpatim: 12 36 19 If anyone injures
his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 fracture for
fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the other, so
he is to be injured. 23 But if there is serious injury,
you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth
for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for
burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. 12:49 These
personal injury judgments (mishpatim) are necessary to keep the
community in balance. They are a part of the laws of kiddush
(holiness). By properly handling cases of injury and death, Israel
remains in right relationship with one another and with their Elohim. 23 Then Mosheh spoke
to the sons of Yisrael, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp
and stoned him. The sons of Yisrael did as Yahuwah commanded Mosheh. And finally, the mishpat as directed by Yahuwah
is carried out.
Prophetic End
Time Shadows in the Torah Parashah
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