Hebrews 9:13-14
For if … the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Messiah, … purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Here is an eschatological piece. Many Endtime enthusiasts speak passionately about the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. There is whole organization called ‘The Temple Mount Institute’ dedicated to its functionality. So far, due to the Golden Dome Mosque, this vision remains an impossible dream. Let’s suppose now that by a ‘supernatural’ political or diplomatic feat, the Temple was rebuilt. Even if that were to happen, due to the lack of a red heifer to purify the priesthood, technically it couldn’t function. But let’s suppose again, that along with our ‘supernatural’ political or diplomatic feat a suitable red heifer was produced? The problem would remain that only a person already purified by the ashes of a red heifer can administer the purification ritual on another person or even prepare the solution. In a way, due to the inexistence of previous ashes as well as of a priest already purified, like a Mobius strip, the purification requirements in this day have stalemated each other (Numbers 19).
Was God oblivious to this possibility when He allowed Israel to go in exile? The texts certainly speak of a functional third Temple (Ezekiel 40). How can that be then?
To find the answer to that question all we need to do is find a precedent, and we have one. The situation was similar when in the wilderness after the first generation from the Exodus had died off Eleazar was to prepare the first red heifer solution. There was not a single person in the whole camp including Eleazar, who could meet the purity requirements. Eleazar therefore performed the ritual under the authority of Moses.
Moses had a very special relationship with God. Unlike other prophets who received dreams and visions, Moses communicated with the Almighty face to face. The sages conclude that it was the reason why Moses kept in a state of constant ritual purity, refusing to even have sexual relationship with his wife, which caused him criticism by his sister Miriam (Numbers 12:1).
It is important here to notice that the establishment of the red heifer ritual only happened following the death of the first generation. Ritual purification concerns itself solely with corpse contamination, so it is almost like, before entering the Promised Land the new generation was being purified from the ‘death’ that plagued it for nearly forty years. Unless Moses, the prophet who in the case of Aaron’s rod budding showed victory over death had kept that dedication to purity, he would not have been allegeable to authorize Eleazar to prepare the solution (Numbers 17:8).
In the same manner, when Yeshua, the ‘prophet like unto Moses’, He who has conquered death will come from the presence of His Father (2 Timothy 1:10), He will also have the authority to authorize the High-Priest of the new temple to prepare the red heifer solution for the people. May it be soon Abba, even in our days!
For if … the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Messiah, … purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Here is an eschatological piece. Many Endtime enthusiasts speak passionately about the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. There is whole organization called ‘The Temple Mount Institute’ dedicated to its functionality. So far, due to the Golden Dome Mosque, this vision remains an impossible dream. Let’s suppose now that by a ‘supernatural’ political or diplomatic feat, the Temple was rebuilt. Even if that were to happen, due to the lack of a red heifer to purify the priesthood, technically it couldn’t function. But let’s suppose again, that along with our ‘supernatural’ political or diplomatic feat a suitable red heifer was produced? The problem would remain that only a person already purified by the ashes of a red heifer can administer the purification ritual on another person or even prepare the solution. In a way, due to the inexistence of previous ashes as well as of a priest already purified, like a Mobius strip, the purification requirements in this day have stalemated each other (Numbers 19).
Was God oblivious to this possibility when He allowed Israel to go in exile? The texts certainly speak of a functional third Temple (Ezekiel 40). How can that be then?
To find the answer to that question all we need to do is find a precedent, and we have one. The situation was similar when in the wilderness after the first generation from the Exodus had died off Eleazar was to prepare the first red heifer solution. There was not a single person in the whole camp including Eleazar, who could meet the purity requirements. Eleazar therefore performed the ritual under the authority of Moses.
Moses had a very special relationship with God. Unlike other prophets who received dreams and visions, Moses communicated with the Almighty face to face. The sages conclude that it was the reason why Moses kept in a state of constant ritual purity, refusing to even have sexual relationship with his wife, which caused him criticism by his sister Miriam (Numbers 12:1).
It is important here to notice that the establishment of the red heifer ritual only happened following the death of the first generation. Ritual purification concerns itself solely with corpse contamination, so it is almost like, before entering the Promised Land the new generation was being purified from the ‘death’ that plagued it for nearly forty years. Unless Moses, the prophet who in the case of Aaron’s rod budding showed victory over death had kept that dedication to purity, he would not have been allegeable to authorize Eleazar to prepare the solution (Numbers 17:8).
In the same manner, when Yeshua, the ‘prophet like unto Moses’, He who has conquered death will come from the presence of His Father (2 Timothy 1:10), He will also have the authority to authorize the High-Priest of the new temple to prepare the red heifer solution for the people. May it be soon Abba, even in our days!
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