Bereansearching Bible Studies

A Better Ministry and Heavenly Tabernacle

Hebrews 8:1, “¶Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;”

This verse summarizes what we have just read in the previous verses concerning Jesus as The High Priest, Who now sits on the right hand of God The Father.

Ephesians 1:20, “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],

Colossians 3:1, “¶If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

Hebrews 8:2, “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

The True Tabernacle is NOT the one made by man (the one from the time of Moses through David), but rather made (“pitched”) ONLY by God. Only Jesus could enter that Sanctuary of which the earthly temporal tabernacle was merely a “figure” or “Type”.

The martyred disciple, Steven, in his very last words of testimony, said this about the Tabernacle (and the Temple): Acts 7:44-50, “¶Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus (Joshua) into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him an house. ¶Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?“

The “prophet” that Stephen mentioned here was Isaiah, referring back to Isaiah 66:1&2, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.“

More corroborating detail in provided by God in the Hebrews Chapter 9 as we find here:

Hebrews 9:8&9, “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;“

Hebrews 9:11, “¶But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;“

Hebrews 8:3, “¶For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore [it is] of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.”

Hebrews 8:4, “For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:”

We are reminded that Jesus was not a Levite, but rather of the tribe of Judah (Juda in the New Testament), and that Jesus would not qualify to be a priest in the Earthly realm according to the Law.

Hebrews 8:5, “Who serve unto the example (ὑπόδειγμα (hypodeigma))^G5262 and shadow (σκιά (skia))^G4639 of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern (τύπος (typos))^G5179 shewed to thee in the mount.”

Note the three references that help to make clear that the Earthly Tabernacle, and priestly ordinances, that were established according to the Law were NEVER intended to be the “substance” of the means of mediation with God, but rather only “Types”(τύπος (typos))^G5179… being 1) “examples”, 2) “shadows” and in the 3) “pattern” (or “fashion”) of Heavenly things.

Some useful references:

Colossians 2:17, “Which are a shadow (σκιά (skia))^G4639 of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.”

Hebrews 9:9, “Which [was] a figure (παραβολή (parabolē))^G3850 for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;” Note that the word for “figure” is the same word for “parable” or “riddle”.

Hebrews 9:23, “¶[It was] therefore necessary that the patterns (ὑπόδειγμα (hypodeigma))^G5262 of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.“

Exodus 25:40, “And look that thou make [them] after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.“

Numbers 8:4, “And this work of the candlestick [was] of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, [was] beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.“

Acts 7:44, “¶Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion (τύπος (typos))^G5179 that he had seen.”

Hebrews 8:6, “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant (testament), which was established upon better promises.”

2 Corinthians 3:6, “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. ¶But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?”

Hebrews 7:22, “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament (covenant)”.

We should well consider that the word for better does not mean that the old had no value, but it is better because it provides the substance and reality of salvation that they “Types” could not. The old “earthly” priesthood taught the nature of the true priesthood and the new “spiritual” priesthood fulfilled the expectation of that true priesthood. The law had value as a pattern that taught about another priesthood, but did not in itself have any power to save. Jesus’s Priesthood was better because it was different in that instead of being only an ineffective picture of salvation, it provided the reality of salvation. God’s people, the believers, have in Jesus a better hope because in Him all the penalties for all their sins have been fully paid.

A New Covenant (Testament)

Hebrews 8:7, “¶For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.”

These verses reviewed earlier re-state this point:

Hebrews 7:11, “¶If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood,(for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?“

Hebrews 7:18&19, “¶For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope [did]; by the which we draw nigh unto God.“

Hebrews 8:8, “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:”

This verse hearkens back to the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 31:31-34, “¶Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.“

Hebrews 8:9, “Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.”

Jeremiah 31:32, “Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:”

Hebrews 10:16&17, “¶This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (this is another restatement of Jeremiah 31:34)

Hebrews 8:10, “For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:“

Jeremiah 31:33. “But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.“

Zechariah 8:8, “And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

Hebrews 8:11, “And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.“

Jeremiah 31:34A, “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.“

Also…Isaiah 54:13, “And all thy children [shall be] taught of the LORD; and great [shall be] the peace of thy children.

John 6:45, “It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.“

Micah 4:2, “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.“

1 John 2:27, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.“

1 Corinthians 2:13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.“

Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.“

Jeremiah 31:34B, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.“

Romans 11:27, “For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.“

Hebrews 8:13, “¶In that he saith, A new [covenant], he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old [is] ready to vanish away.“

Jesus Christ is the end (goal) of the law (the Old Covenant), as we read in Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” It (the Old Testament) is described as decaying (note, that is neither “decayed”…nor “obsolete”) in that it still has purpose. 

Just like the Hebrews, we must remember the Old Testament signs, types, and patterns (talked about in the preceding verses of Chapter 8), were physically discernible, but were pointing to the invisible spiritual substance of the heavenly kingdom in Jesus. We might consider this the admonition of not walking by sight, but by faith; 2 Corinthians 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” or not living by works, but by grace. In that sense, we never want to return to the Old Covenant that depends on works.

In establishing the New Covenant, the Old Levitical Covenant is done away. It has served its purpose in pointing us to our need for a Savior, but in Jesus Christ, Who Is That Savior, the Old Covenant can thus vanish away.

The Old Covenant/Old Testament was indeed one of “works” that required perfect obedience, which could never be perfectly kept by sinful mankind, and hence would never make peace between God and man, but in the New Covenant/New Testament of Grace, wrought through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, perfectly fulfilled the old covenant law by which all believers through Faith are saved (by God’s intercessory Grace through Jesus).  

Ephesians 2:8&9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:14&15 ¶For he (Jesus) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

This is perhaps the best summary of the above…

Galatians 3:17-26. “And this I say, [that] the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.  (referring back to the Promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and 430 years after that in Egypt and then the law of the Old Covenant was given) For if the inheritance be of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise. ¶Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and [it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not [a mediator] of one, but God is one. ¶[Is] the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to [bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. ¶For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 5:1, “¶Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.“

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.“

Psalm 102:25&26, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:“

Isaiah 51:6, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.“

Isaiah 65:17, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.“

Isaiah 66:22, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.“

2 Peter 3:12&13, “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.“

And we must remember that Jesus said, in “Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” and again in Mark 13:31, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” And again in Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

Introduction

Many people, including those who are quite familiar with the Bible, can easily miss the Hidden Treasures that God has miraculously and supernaturally placed, and otherwise concealed, within His Word, the Bible, apart from careful Holy Spirit led searching. Those “hid treasures”, will always point us to the LORD Jesus Christ. In many cases, as this study will show, a lot can get lost in the translation from the original Hebrew of the Old Testament and Greek of the New Testament into King James English.

This post is excerpted from a longer one on such Hidden Treasures, which expounds upon the basis for the understanding of how and why such hid treasures exist in the Bible. That post also explains how the Believer in the LORD Jesus Christ should always prayerfully approach the scriptures with reverential awe, just as the Psalmist prayed to God in Psalm 119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” And, most importantly, those “wondrous things” are for the purpose of focusing our eyes on the LORD Jesus Christ.

Noah’s Ark Versus Moses’ Ark

Many people in the world have heard of Noah’s Ark, but far fewer have heard of Moses’ “Ark”. The word translated into English as “Ark” is from the original Hebrew word תֵּבָה (tēḇâ)^H8392, whose derivation is unknown, but is generally interpreted as a “vessel”. Its literal sense, as found in the Bible, pertains to a vessel for floating on the surface of water for the purpose of preserving its contents.

God has hidden some interesting and profound spiritual insights within the verses that address these two distinct “Arks”, wherein each served as floating vessels for the preservation of their respective passengers within a context that has deeper spiritual implications.

1. The first Ark, as is described in Genesis 6:13-22, was made of “gopher” (גֹּפֶר (gōp̄er))^H1613 wood (possibly cypress?) to contain righteous Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives, for a total of eight human souls, along with an untold number of animals of all kinds, to preserve them from the first global Judgment Day that God brought upon the world via a global flood of water.
2. The second Ark, as is described in Exodus 2:1-6, was like a basket made of “bulrushes” (גֹּמֶא (gōme’))^H1573, or papyrus reeds, and bore Moses, as a three month old baby, upon the Nile River until Moses was discovered and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. The man, Moses, would eventually lead the nation of Israel to safety after God’s Judgment was poured out on Egypt and its Pharaoh.

That is the “literal-historical” account as provided within the physical text of the Bible. However, there is also a “Hidden Spiritual Gem” that can be found in association with these two “Arks”, which deals with the words in the original Hebrew that the King James translators interpreted in English as “pitch“, the key material that was applied in the construction of each of these two very different “Arks”. Such pitch is generally presumed to be only for the “literal” purpose of keeping each “Ark” from sinking.

Note to the Reader: It should also be noted that the “Arks” of Noah and Moses are not to be confused with the “‘Ark’ of the Covenant/Testimony” that contained the Ten Commandments as given by God to Moses. The word translated there as “Ark” is from the original Hebrew word אָרוֹן (‘ārôn)^H727, which means a “chest” or “coffin” (and it was first used in the Bible to describe the “coffin” that was used to transport the body of Joseph in Genesis 50:26)

This study will, hopefully, enlighten the reader to the fact that there is far more to the Bible than meets the physical eye, and that we should never take any translations of the original languages at face value, but rather carefully and faithfully and prayerfully “search the scriptures” to find the spiritual truths that God has hidden within His Word, and which can so easily be missed in casual reading. This admonition is particularly applicable to those who adamantly hold to the “Literal-Grammatical-Historical” hermeneutic in interpreting God’s Holy Word, the Bible, and who do not understand, nor are interested in, God’s hermeneutic, which is replete with a variety of parables that veil spiritual truth that consistently point us to the Person and Work of the LORD Jesus Christ. Jesus pointedly told the Jews of His day in John 5:39, to “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

Salvation

Provided by Noah’s Ark by Grace, Through Atonement and Ransom in Satisfaction of the Law

If we just casually read the Bible, and come across verses like these in Genesis 6:13&14 that follow concerning Noah’s Ark, do we really give them much thought? Let us first read these two verses and then take a closer look to see if there is something that a casual reading might miss. What hidden gem might we find?

But, before we do we first need to go back to Genesis to understand the contextual setting and purpose for Noah’s Ark.

Genesis 6:5-8, provides the context, “¶And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Did you catch that? Noah was not condemned, but rather was granted God’s Grace!

Moving on to Genesis 6:13&14, we read, ¶And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.“

Well, if we just take the words provided in these two verses and accept them using the “Literal-Grammatical-Historical” method of interpretation, then we would have to say that God is only telling us that the world was full of evil violent people, and that, as a result, God is going to destroy them and the whole earth in as well. Moreover, the Ark is going to be made of a wood called gopher wood, it will have rooms inside, and Noah was directed to seal it with pitch inside and out, presumably to make it water tight.

Is that all there is to these verses? Well, the literalists would certainly say so. However, there is something else, far more important, like a hidden precious gem in this text of the second verse that the literalists will NEVER see on their own!

So then, let us take a closer look to see that hidden gem from God.

The first item that draws a curious glance is the word “gopher” wood. If we look at that original Hebrew, we come to a dead end, because the word translated as “gopher” is from the Hebrew word גֹּפֶר (gōp̄er)^H1613. That word, gōp̄er, is only used once in the entire Bible! So we have no way to compare scripture with scripture for a cross reference to gain any spiritual insights from this word. Some have speculated that it is “cypress”, but that is a different word תִּרְזָה (tirzâ)^H8645 as can be found translated (along with “cedar”אֶרֶז (‘erez)^H730, “oak” אַלּוֹן (‘allôn)^H437 , and “ash” אֹרֶן (‘ōren)^H766) in Isaiah 44:14.

On the other hand, when we look at both the first and second words that are translated as “pitch” in the King James Version of the Bible, we find something quite extraordinary!

• The first word that is translated as “pitch” in Genesis 6:14 is from the original Hebrew word כָּפַר (kāp̄ar)^H3722, which is translated as “pitch” only this one time and nowhere else in the entire Bible. However, that same original Hebrew word appears 101 times in other places in the Bible, where it is translated variously in the following manner: atonement (71x), purge (7x), reconciliation (4x), reconcile (3x), forgive (3x), purge away (2x), pacify (2x), atonement…made (2x), merciful (2x), cleansed (1x), disannulled (1x), appease (1x),  put off (1x), pardon.

Wow!…what does that bring to mind? For me, my first thought is the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, as He is the Spiritual means by which the eight souls in the Ark can be saved who Typify the elect of God, the eternal Israel, who are purged of their sins and reconciled to God and who are saved from the wrath of God on Judgment Day (“Typified” by the Great Flood that destroyed the world in Noah’s day). What about you? Is this just some strange happenstance?… or some kind of error? Absolutely NOT!

Let us look at a few exemplar verses that show how this word is used elsewhere in the Old Testament in:

1. Leviticus 16:32&33, “And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement (כָּפַר (kāp̄ar))^H3722, And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement (כָּפַר (kāp̄ar))^H3722, and shall put on the linen clothes, [even] the holy garments: And he shall make an atonement (כָּפַר (kāp̄ar))^H3722 for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement (כָּפַר (kāp̄ar))^H3722 for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement (כָּפַר (kāp̄ar))^H3722 for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.“
2. Proverbs 16:6, “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged(כָּפַר (kāp̄ar))^H3722: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.“
3. Daniel 9:24, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation (כָּפַר (kāp̄ar)) ^H3722 for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Amazingly, God confirms this derived spiritual interpretation via a “second witness”, in effect by “doubling down”, with the use of the other word found in the same verse which is also translated as “pitch”

• The second word that is translated as “pitch” in Genesis 6:14 is from the original Hebrew word, (כֹּפֶר (kōp̄er))^H3724, which is again only translated once in the whole Bible as “pitch”, and yet it appears 16 times in other places in the Bible where it is translated variously in the following manner: ransom (8x), satisfaction (2x), bribe (2x), camphire (2x), sum of money (1x), village (1x).

Job 33:24, is one example, “Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom (כֹּפֶר (kōp̄er))^H3724.”

So then, the two words that are translated as “pitch”, found in association with the construction of Noah’s Ark, actually corroborate each other to convey profound spiritual truth, which both point us to the Person and Work of the the Lord Jesus Christ. That can be understood only from a spiritual perspective, by which we see that the salvation of mankind, typified of Noah and his family in the first Ark who were rescued by God from the Great Judgmental Flood and God’s Wrath, because it involved an “atonement“, which also required a “ransom” or “satisfaction“. It involved a “covering” and protection from God’s just penalty for sin. The fulfilled Atonement, which the “pitch” of Noah’s Ark pointed to, was wrought solely by the Lord Jesus Christ through the sacrificial ransom paid by the shedding of His Blood resulting in His Death in 33 AD, which also fully “satisfied” the Law of God.

New Testament Corroboration

Please remember what the New Testament tells us regarding The Lord Jesus Christ and His Work, because it is perfectly and entirely consistent with what was just expounded above:

Romans 5:11, “And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.“

Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;“

Hebrews 2:17, “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

1 Timothy 2:6, “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Before we leave Noah’s Ark, we should remember the Rainbow that God placed in the Heavens as a sign of that Judgement upon the world had ended. For more on this, please see The Biblical meaning of the Rainbow.

Judgment

In Moses’ Ark, Versus Grace and Mercy in Noah’s Ark

The Correct Hebrew Word for “Pitch” Is Zep̄eṯ, Not Kāp̄ar or Kōp̄er

Exodus 2:3, “And when she (Moses’ mother) could not longer hide him (Moses), she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid [it] in the flagsby the river’s brink.“

The correctly translated Hebrew word for “pitch“, as is provided by God in two places in the Bible, is זֶפֶת (zep̄eṯ)^H2203, and NOT כָּפַר (kāp̄ar)^H3722 or כֹּפֶר (kōp̄er)^H3724. If God, by His Holy Spirit, had intended to mean “pitch” for Noah’s Ark, then God would have inspired Moses to use zep̄eṯ as the word to convey that meaning. Clearly, God did not, and we are forced to conclude it was for the spiritual implications presented earlier in this post.

And it should also be noted that, in both cases, rather than being associated with the Grace and Mercy of God and Salvation, as is indicated by kāp̄ar, zep̄eṯ on the other hand is more suggestive of God’s Judgment and condemnation for sin under the Law. Note that it was the man, Moses, whom God uses to represent the Law, who was placed in a basket (“ark”), and thereby preserved, by his mother (Jochebed, Numbers 26:59). We must note that Moses’ Ark was daubed with both “slime” (חֵמָר (ḥēmār))^H2564; and “pitch” (זֶפֶת (zep̄eṯ))^H2203.

We need to remember what the scriptures teach concerning the law, versus grace:

2 Corinthians 3:6, “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

2 Corinthians 3:9, “For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.“

 Gal 3:10-14, “¶For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. ¶Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Galatians 3:23-25, “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

Again, Amazingly, God confirms this derived spiritual interpretation of Judgment via another “second witness”, by the use of another word found in the same verse

Interestingly enough, this Hebrew word, that really does mean “pitch”, can only be found in two verses of the Bible. First in Exodus 2:3 with regard to Moses’ Ark, “And when she (Moses’ mother) could not longer hide him, she took for him (Moses) an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime (חֵמָר (ḥēmār))^H2564 and with pitch (זֶפֶת (zep̄eṯ))^H2203, and put the child (Moses) therein; and she laid [it] in the flags by the river’s brink.” and second in Isaiah 34:9, “And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch (זֶפֶת (zep̄eṯ))^H2203, and the dust thereof into brimstone (גָּפְרִית (gāp̄rîṯ))^H1614, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch (זֶפֶת (zep̄eṯ))^H2203.

And the reader also should note where else God uses the word “brimstone“. In Genesis 19:24, we see “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone (גָּפְרִית (gāp̄rîṯ))^H1614 and fire from the LORD out of heaven;” and in Deuteronomy 29:23, “[And that] the whole land thereof [is] brimstone (גָּפְרִית (gāp̄rîṯ)) ^H1614, and salt, and burning, [that] it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:“

We could already see from Isaiah 34:9 that the word zep̄eṯ is set within the context of Judgment because of the association with “brimstone” and “burning“, but what about the Hebrew word ḥēmār that is translated in English as “slime”? Well, that word is used in only two other places in the whole Bible, and both verses point to the Judgment of God.

1. The first is in Genesis 11:3, where it is used to construct the Tower of Babel, which God subsequently destroyed, “And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime (חֵמָר (ḥēmār))^H2564 had they for morter.”
2. The second is in Genesis 14:10, where it addresses the death of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, “And the vale of Siddim [was full of ] slimepits (חֵמָר (ḥēmār))^H2564; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.”

Hopefully the reader can now see that God has made a clear distinction between the three words that have been translated in the King James English version of the Bible as “pitch“: כָּפַר (kāp̄ar)^H3722, כֹּפֶר (kōp̄er)^H3724 and זֶפֶת (zep̄eṯ)^H2203. The first two, kāp̄ar and kōp̄er, point to God’s Grace and Mercy, with regard to Noah’s Ark representing the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Ransom that He paid for the Salvation of His Sheep, and the third zep̄eṯ, which only points to God’s Judgment, and specifically to that which comes under the works of the Law as typified by Moses in his “Ark”. Remember what we read in Romans 8:3 says, the law, because of the inability in our sinful flesh to keep it, cannot save us… “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

Moreover in Romans 4:15, God makes clear that the law cannot save, rather only condemn, “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there is] no transgression.” and 1 Corinthians 15:56, “The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law.“

Indeed the Law (typified by Moses preserved in his Ark) exposes everyone’s sin and will judge all, for it is true and pure and demands full obedience, but the Bible makes clear that Salvation is by God’s Grace alone, and not of works. Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

And we know that saving grace came at the highest price, the Atoning Ransom paid in full by the Person and Work of the LORD Jesus Christ (as typified by the preservation of Noah and his family in his Ark).

Jonah 2:9, “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD.”

And we should remember what Jesus said in Mattthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Jesus was that “Ark” that preserved the man Moses, who God uses to portray “The Law” which only brings Judgment and that Jesus fulfilled at the Cross of Calvary.

Conclusion

The key takeaway would seem to be that God has specified two different “Arks” in the Bible, which served two different roles, each sealed with two different types of “pitch”, but which nonetheless both still point to God’s Magnificent Salvation program, which was wrought through the Person and Work of the LORD Jesus Christ: 

1. Regarding Noah’s Ark: We see how Jesus provided the necessary Atonement/Ransom/Satisfaction of the Law for sin, by grace, for the Salvation of those souls for whom Jesus died…as was typified by the Ark carrying “Noah” (whose very name means “Comfort” and “Consolation”). 
2. Regarding Moses’ Ark: We see how Jesus’ fulfillment of God’s perfect Law (typified by the Ark that preserved Moses, who typifies the Law) wherein Jesus not only had to perfectly keep God’s Law, but also had to be judged guilty and condemned for the sins of the believers for whom He came to seek and to save (because the Law only condemns and brings Judgment (e.g., ‘brimstone’) upon sinners).

We read in Romans 10:4&5, “For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. ¶For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.”

However, no “man” can keep the law perfectly, so the law only condemns to death, but Jesus, Who Is Perfect, through His Faith, by His Spirit, saves to life!

And it was through God’s use of the two different types of words in the Bible, which were both translated into English as “pitch“, that made it possible to discern these two different spiritual “Types” of Arks.

Warning to the Reader: Bible Study is Not Just an Intellectual Exercise!

The above Bible study simply, but clearly, provides another example of how God has magnificently crafted the Bible to show us that He Is LORD God of All. It shows how God is in full control of all time and all space. This study teaches us about the two Arks,

1) the first Ark that saved Noah from the Flood of God’s Wrath and Judgment because of the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus, and

2) the second Ark that preserved Moses, who is a picture of God’s Law, which only condemns mankind for sin, with implied references to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone.

But is that all there is to it? NO, because the Bible makes clear that both of the historical events (Noah’s Flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah) were meant by God to prefigure the Judgment Day that is yet to come….and that Day is coming soon! The world of today is VERY much like the world that was on earth just before Noah’s Flood and in Sodom and Gomorrah that was destroyed by Fire and Brimstone in Lot’s day.

On that Final Judgment Day, God will either save a person from their sins in mercy through the Atoning Sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ…or God will Judge everyone else, just as God’s Only Begotten Son, Jesus, was Judged, and God destroy them all, and send them all to Hell for eternity, because God’s Perfect Law against sin demands it. Pray to God that He might grant you mercy through Jesus Christ that you might be saved from your sins. Isaiah 55:6&7

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord (Jesus Christ) shall be saved.“!

A full explanation of how and why Judgment Day is real, and will come to pass shortly, is provided in this study: Judgment Day Is Coming Soon!

Introduction

Chapter 7 is a very “Doctrinal” Chapter. It reiterates the fact that mankind is saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ and NOT by the works of the Law. The Law only condemns (while also teaching us our need for a Savior), but Jesus, by perfectly fulfilling the Law, SAVES. It provides the basis of reassurance that Jesus is our mediator with God as the ultimate and eternal High Priest, and Jesus is the One Who offers the ultimate acceptable Sacrifice (Himself) to atone for the sins of mankind.

The entire focus of Hebrews Chapter 7 is on Jesus’ Role as The High Priest, after the Order of Melchizedek, and that Theophany (Jesus, pre-incarnate), which is presented to us regarding Melchizedek points us to Jesus Christ as our High Priest “after the order of Melchisedec.”

The rationale for Hebrews Chapter 7 was to explain how it was possible for Jesus be a High Priest, despite the fact that Jesus was not of the Tribe of Levi, but rather Judah. The author of the Book of Hebrews (in all likelihood, the Apostle Paul) was likely addressing what was likely a problem for many of the Jews in that day regarding Jesus as the Christ (Messiah), including those who…

1) were newly converted to Christianity and likely undergoing persecution by unconverted Jews,

2) the Jews who were curious whom God might be drawing to Jesus, and

3) the Jews who were naysayers.

The explanations provided in the Book of Hebrews are derived from the Old Testament, which were the only scriptures that the Hebrews had in that day. This exposition from the Old Testament found in Chapter 7 makes clear how Jesus was indeed The Eternal High Priest, Who was previously veiled, “in a mystery”, until this information was newly revealed to them. Moreover, Jesus did not do away with the Law, because Jesus came to fulfill the Law, but rather Jesus was ordained by God the Father as the Eternal High Priest Who came via a Heavenly Decree (“Oath”), which came prior to, and therefore superseded, the carnal Law given to Moses with a “better” covenant. Hebrews 7:7, “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.“

Hosea 3:4&5 makes clear that there would be a time when Israel would not have a king, a prince, a sacrifice, or a high priest, (in captivity), but that in the latter days they would return and be blessed. “¶For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.” This temporally was fulfilled to a degree until the coming of Jesus, but with His coming, this prophesy was fulfilled spiritually for ever.

Both the Hebrews, and we, are assured in the Letter to the Hebrews that, by receiving the Lord Jesus, we would have a much better High Priest, a Priesthood of a Higher Order Who intercedes before us in the Heavens, and, consequently, offers a better dispensation or covenant, a better law and testament.

We are shown in this chapter where,

1. We have a more detailed description of Melchisedec (v. 1-3).
2. We are shown the superiority of His Priesthood to that of Aaron’s and why (v. 4-10).
3. We are provided more insight on the superior, and eternal, excellency of Jesus’ Person, Office, and Covenant (v. 11-28).

Melchizedec’s Priesthood Foreshadows That of Jesus Christ

Hebrews 7:1, “¶For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;“

Hebrews 7:2, “To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;“

The above two verses point us directly back to the account we read in Genesis 14:17–20 , “¶And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that [were] with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which [is] the king’s dale. ¶And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.“

We also know that Jesus is both “The Prince of Peace” and Lord of Lords and “King of Kings” forever and ever as we read in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” and in the following three verses:

1 Timothy 6:15, “Which in his times he shall shew, [who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;”

Revelation 17:14, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful.”

Revelation 19:16, “And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.“

And what about the bread and wine? That is neither incidental nor accidental as it is a clear prefigurement of the LORD’s New Testament Covenant that He initiated during the Last Supper in 33AD.

Mark 14:22-25, “¶And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake [it], and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. ¶And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave [it] to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.“

Hebrews 7:3, “Without father, without mother, without descent (ἀγενεαλόγητος (agenealogētos))^G35 , having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

But then we read of additional information regarding Melchisedec that cannot be found in the Old Testament. Nonetheless we know that this additional information is from God, via His Holy Spirit, and is therefore provided to us to help us understand that Melchisedec is not a man, but rather a “theophany“, meaning that Melchisedec was a physical manifestation of God, but taking the form of a man.

The evidence is that we are informed that Melchisedec did not have a father or a mother or “descent”, which means that he had no genealogy. Only The Eternal God can fit that description.

Hebrews 7:4, “¶Now consider how great this man [was], unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.“

Again this points us back to Genesis 14:20, “And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” But the key point is that this “man” was one who even Abraham, the greatest of the “fathers” of Israel, bestowed his tithes to.

Hebrews 7:5, “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:“

We need to look back on the issue of tithing (paying a tenth of all increase) and how the Levites, the Levitical Priesthood (of which Aaron was the High Priest during the time of Moses when this law was given), received tithes of all…Numbers 18:21, “¶And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, [even] the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.” and that even the priests had to pay a tithe on that to God as we read in Numbers 18:26, “Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, [even] a tenth [part] of the tithe.“

The point being that the Levitical Priesthood was established via the seed of Abraham (out of his “loins”).

Moreover, regarding “the law”, Romans 4:12&13, “And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which [he had] being [yet] uncircumcised. ¶For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.“

Also in Galatians 3:16-26, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, [that] the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise. ¶Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not [a mediator] of one, but God is one. ¶ [Is] the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] untoChrist, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. ¶For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.“

Hebrews 7:6, , “But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.”

The point here is that Melchisedec had no part in the Levitical Priesthood as he was not descended from either Levi or Abraham and therefore was of a different Priesthood.

Hebrews 7:7, “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.“

The Order of Melchisedec was a higher (“the better”) Priesthood than the Levitical Priesthood after the Order of Aaron (“the less”). This is a key verse in that the entire Levitical/Aaronic priesthood historically paid tithes to Melchisedec, as they were viewed by God as present in the loins of Abraham when he paid his tithes to Mechisedec. And that this makes clear that the lesser (Levi/Aaron) were blessed of the better (Melchisedec, hence Jesus).

Hebrews 7:8, “And here men that die receive tithes; but there he [receiveth them], of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.”

Aaron, and all others of the tribe of Levi, the levites received tithes, but they were merely men that all eventually died. However, Melchisedec was different because his Order, the Order of High Priest of Jesus, is forever. This is made clear in both Hebrews 5:6, “¶”As he saith also in another [place}, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” and Hebrews 6:20, “Whither the forerunner is for us entered, [even} Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” Remembering the source back in Psalm 110:4, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [art a] priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Also, by implication, if Melchizedek had no beginning or ending of days, then he was eternal, as Jesus is eternal (hence the “Theophany“).

Hebrews 7:9, “And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

Hebrews 7:10, “For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.“

These two verses taken together make this very important point, because they are saying that, from God’s vantage point, what takes place in one man will in effect be witnessed and effectuated by all of those who have not yet been born of him. This is why all of mankind is tainted by the original sin, because, from God’s vantage point, we all were “in the loins of Adam” when he committed the original sin. Bearing in mind Deuteronomy 24:16, “¶The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” Nonetheless, 1 Corinthians 15:22, makes clear, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.“

Hebrews 7:11, “¶If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?“

The law could not save, it could only condemn, but through the law there is a Way of escape from the just penalties for transgression against the law. The Higher Order Priest, Jesus Christ, presenting The Lamb (Himself) for the once, and for all, eternal sacrifice.

Hebrews 7:12, “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”

The Law of Moses, in Leviticus,Chapter 16, only speaks to the tribe of Levi, and his descendants that included Aaron, and no one else, as being involved in the Atoning sacrifices and going through the veil once a year to the altar on the Day of Atonement.

We also read in Exodus 30:10, “And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto the LORD.“

However, it is clear that the Levitical Law was insufficient for Salvation as it only condemns us. That is why we read about Jesus and the better Offering that He Provided, once and for ever in Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].

Hebrews 7:13, “For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.“

Hebrews 7:14, “¶For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.”

Jesus is descended (via Mary) from the tribe of Judah (“Juda” in the New Testament) through David (please see Jesus’ Earthly Ancestry). There are also the key references:

Romans 1:3, “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;“

Revelation 5:5, “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.“

And remembering what Moses did say concerning Judah (hence Jesus) in Genesis 49:9, “Judah [is] a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be]. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes [shall] be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.“

And to the faithful student/teacher of the Bible, the believer, you should immediately realize that everything in this prophesy is fulfilled ONLY in the Lord Jesus Christ and NO OTHER!

Hebrews 7:15, “And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude (ὁμοιότης (homoiotēs))^G3665 of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,“

Note that the Greek word translated as “similitude” is the same word translated “like as” in Hebrews 4:15 and is not found anywhere else in the Bible. It means to “resemble”, in the “likeness of”, in the “form of.” It seems to be consistent with pointing to Melchizedek as a “Type” to represent Jesus, and most likely Jesus, pre-incarnate (given the attributes of Melchizedek). It should be noted however that God does refer to “similitudes” (דָּמָה (dāmâ))^H1819 in the Hebrew Old Testament as we read in Hosea 12:10, “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.”

Psalm 110:4, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (We also addressed this earlier in Hebrews 6:20, “Whither the forerunner (πρόδρομος (prodromos))^G4274 is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.“)

The word in the original Greek that is translated in English as “forerunner” is only found once in the Bible and so is impossible to cross-reference, but it would seem that this could be saying that Jesus came as the First High Eternal Priest Who came as the precursor, in advance, where the other (temporal, Aaronic High Priests) were to follow after.

Hebrews 7:16, “Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.”

God established the Aaronic Priesthood via the Law given as a commandment to carnal man via Moses. But Jesus was established as the “True” High Priest ordained by God the Father for eternity.

Hebrews 7:17, “For he testifieth, Thou [art ]a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.“

This repeats the references above as applied to Hebrews 7:15. Jesus is our ETERNAL High Priest in Heaven.

Hebrews 7:18, “¶For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.“

Romans 8:3, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:“

Galatians 4:9, “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?“

The bottom line for the above verses is that the office of the High Priesthood of Jesus is not dependent on any earthly ordinances, but on the Deity of Jesus Christ, the eternity of His life, and the effectiveness of His One Personal Sacrifice that there is a decided change (by supersession) of the law concerning the priesthood.

Justification by Faith

Hebrews 7:19, “For the law made nothing perfect (τελειόω (teleioō))^G5048, but the bringing in of a better hope [did]; by the which we draw nigh unto God.“

Acts 13:39, “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.“

Rom 3:20 &21, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.¶But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;“

Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;“

Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

Galatians 3:10&11, “¶For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.“

The Law Brings Us to Jesus

Galatians 3:24&25, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.“

Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin. And therefore the need for a savior, Jesus, for that sin

The Better Hope

Hebrews 6:18, “That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

Romans 5:2, “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Ephesians 2:18, “For through him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.“

Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.“

The old law of ceremony, sacrifice, and earthly priesthood is replaced only because it made nothing and no one perfect while Jesus Christ does. It is though Jesus that we draw nigh to God.

Hebrews 7:20, “¶And inasmuch as not without an oath [he was made priest]:“

Hebrews 7:21, “(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)“

The key point is that the Aaronic priests were ordained without an oath made by God. They obtained their priesthood by being born to the Tribe of Levi.

Again we are led back to Psalm 110:4, “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” and again we also addressed this earlier in Hebrews 6:20, “Whither the forerunner (πρόδρομος (prodromos))^G4274 is for us entered, [even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.“

The Better Covenant and Better Promises

Hebrews 7:22, “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.“

Hebrews 8:6, “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.“

The New Testament is a Better (above) Testament, or Better Covenant as we read in Matthew 26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (see also Mark 14:24 and Luke 22:20)

2 Corinthians 3:6, “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”

Hebrews 9:15, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

Hebrews 7:23, “¶And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:“

Hebrews 7:24, “But this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.“

There were many Levitical/Aaronic priests, but there is One Jesus Christ of the Order of Melchizedek. They were mortal, therefore they ALL died. Jesus Is Immortal, eternal, and therefore He lives forever and His Priesthood is unchangeable.

Jesus Is Our Intercessor and Advocate With The Father

Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.“

The Aaronic priesthood could not put away sin, and was only representative and ineffectual. Jesus, on the other hand, is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him, seeing that He Is and always will be our High Priest interceding for the believers.

Romans 8:34, “Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.“

1 Timothy 2:5, “For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;“

1 John 2:1, “¶My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:“

Hebrews 7:26, “¶For such an high priest became us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;“

Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.”

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.“

Jesus is Raised Up Higher Than the Heavens

Ephesians 1:20, “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],“

Ephesians 4:9&10, “(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)”

Hebrews 7:27, “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.“

Jesus only had to offer Himself once as the acceptable Sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:24-28, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.“

Aaron Required a Sin Atonement for Himself

Leviticus 9:7, “And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.”

Leviticus 16:15, “¶Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that [is] for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:“

Jesus Provided Himself as the Atoning Sacrifice for Sin

*

Romans 6:10, “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.“

Genesis 22:8, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.“

Hebrews 7:28, “For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, [maketh] the Son, who is consecrated (τελειόω (teleioō))^G5048 for evermore.“

The Law came before the Oath that we read about in Psalm 110:4. We are also led back to:

Hebrews 5:1, “¶For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things [pertaining] to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.“

Hebrews 5:2, “Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.”

Hebrews 2:10, “¶For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.“

Hebrews 5:9, “And being made perfect (τελειόω (teleioō))^G5048,  he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;“

Jesus Is consecrated/perfected as the High Priest forever.

Introduction

The following discussion focuses on just one verse in the Bible and is excerpted from a much longer exposition on the entire Book of Jonah. The key takeaway is that there is a lot more to any one verse in the Bible than meets the eye.

Jonah 1:1, “Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,“

A lot of very important information is packed into this little verse.  At the start, it is clear that Jonah’s office or role was that of a prophet, for the word of God came specifically to the prophets to declare that Word unto the people (Hebrews 1:1, Jeremiah 29:19, Hosea 12:10, and many others). 

But before proceeding with this exposition of Jonah 1:1, We should look to Matthew 12:38-41, where we find the account in which “certain of the scribes and Pharisees” asked Jesus to show them a sign to validate that He was indeed the Messiah (that great Prophet) to which Jesus’s only response was to refer them to the book of Jonah. They said, “Master, we would see a sign from thee.  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas (Greek for “Jonah”): For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas [is] here.” Again, in Matthew 16:4, we hear Jesus say, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.“

In Luke 11:29&30, Jesus provides additional insights, “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.”

Jonah Is a True Historical Account Based Upon Jesus’ Own Statements!

The reader should take particular note of the importance of the above statements made by Jesus concerning Jonah, because Jesus validated that: 

1. Jonah was indeed a real person, 
2. Jonah was a real prophet,
3. Jonah was really swallowed by a fish/whale 
4. Jonah suffered in that situation for 3 days and 3 nights, and
5. Jonah served as a “sign” (which pointed to Jesus!) …hence anyone, who disbelieves the book of Jonah, is, in effect, calling Jesus, hence God, a liar!

But we also learn a lot of personal details from Jonah 1:1:

1. The Word of the LORD (יְהֹוָה (Yᵊhōvâ))^H3068 came to Jonah, hence Jonah was indeed a prophet of God
2. Jonah (יוֹנָה (yônâ))^H3124, which means “Dove” (or “Turtledove” of “Pigeon”) a sacrificial animal for the poor and leprous
3. Jonah’s father was named Amittai (אֲמִתַּי (‘ămitay))^H573, which means “Faithful”, “Trustworthy”, “True”, or “My Truth”. 

The son of Amittai?  

Who is this Amittai?  When we “search the scriptures”, we find that the only information concerning him is found in 2 Kings 14:25, and there we find that God corroborates that information along with some new information. There we read, “He (Jeroboam II, king of Israel) restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which [was] of Gathhepher.” 

So then, not only are we again told that Jonah was a prophet, just as Jesus had said, because he was indeed identified as a prophet in the Old Testament, as one who spoke “the word of the LORD God of Israel”, but again also that Jonah was the son of Amittai. However, we are also newly informed that Jonah lived during the time of king Jeroboam II in Israel, who reigned 41 years from ~793 BC to ~752).  We also newly learn that Jonah was from a village called “Gathhepher”.

Who Does Amittai Typify?

When we search out the meaning of Jonah’s father, “Amittai” , we can begin to see more of what God has in view.  In the original Hebrew, Amittai  (אֲמִתַּי (‘ămitay))^H573 means “Faithful”, “Trustworthy”, “True”, or “My Truth”.  Who is it that is repeatedly declared to be “faithful” and “true” in the scriptures?  God!  and Jesus is God! John 14:6 tells us clearly, “¶Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.“

In Isaiah 25:1 we read, “O LORD, thou [art] my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful [things]; [thy] counsels of old are faithfulness [and] truth“.  In Deuteronomy 7:9, we read, “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”  In John 7:28 we read, “Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.”  We can see then that Amittai is a type or figure chosen by God to represent God the Father.  So who does that suggest Jonah might spiritually represent?  Remember how above in John 5:39 Jesus said the scriptures testified of Him, hence the title of this chapter heading, “Jonah (or Jesus?)”

But What About the Village of Gathhepher? 

If we go back for a moment to 2 Kings 14:25, we are provided additional evidence to confirm that we are on the right track.  There we learn that Jonah’s abode or home was in Gathhepher; “He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which [was] of Gathhepher.” 

Gathhepher is a primary clue from at least two distinct vantage points.  First, if we look in the back of our Bibles at the ancient map of National Israel, we will find, to our utter amazement, that the village of Gathhepher from the Old Testament is located no more than two miles north of Nazareth from the New Testament (Gathhepher is now known as the village of Mashhad, which can even be considered a suburb of the city of Nazareth today).  To assure ourselves that this is indeed the case, we have only to search it out in God’s word.  From Joshua 19:13, we learn that this town (also referred to as Gittahhepher) was within the borders of the land given to the tribe of Zebulun, “And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittahhepher (in the original Hebrew this is the same as “Gath-hepher”, and, which translated, means either “well of the winepress” or “winepress of digging” or “winepress of shame” https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Gath-hepher.html), to Ittah-kazin, and goeth out to Remmon-methoar to Neah;” Joshua 19:16,  assures us that this village is within Zebulun, “This [is] the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.“

From Matthew 4:12-15 (and Isaiah 9:1), we learn that the land of Zebulun (Zabulon in Greek) is identified as being within the region of Galilee, “Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he (Jesus) departed into Galilee;  And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias (“Isaiah” in Greek, see Isaiah 9:1) the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, [by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles (nations);”

Please also note that when we take a close look at Isaiah 8:11-22, and then Isaiah 9:1 (which Matthew 4:12-15 just pointed us to) and then the verse closely following (Isaiah 9:2), we can gain some additional insights to show us that Jesus is the Christ, and that “Great Prophet”, Whom the people in Jesus’s day were not expecting to have come from Galilee nor would see that Jesus would be the Means of Salvation to all the world (gentiles) and not just the Jews only (of which a remnant would still be saved).

Isaiah 8:11-22, “For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,¹² Say ye not, A confederacy, to all [them] to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.¹³ Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread.¹⁴ And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (See also Romans 9:30-33) ¹⁵ And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.¹⁶ Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.¹⁷ And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.¹⁸ Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.¹⁹ And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?²⁰ To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.²¹ And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.²² And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.”  Then Isaiah 9:1 reads, “Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.”  The dimness and darkness surrounded the nation of Israel (“both houses of Israel” and “the inhabitants of Jerusalem”). However, in the very next verse (Isaiah 9:2) we read, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”  Those people are the Gentiles!

Which leads us to John 9:5, where Jesus announces, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” after which he immediately healed a blind man, “born blind”.  Then we read later in John 9:39,”And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”

Getting back to the issue of Galilee…From this Bible study we can see that Jonah was the son of Amittai who was from Gath-Hepher, which is in the land that was given as part of the inheritance by Joshua to the tribe of Zebulun, which is in the region known as Galilee.  Isn’t that astounding?  Both Jonah and Jesus are Galileans!  God raised up the great prophet, Jonah, from the exact same neighborhood as the ultimate “Prophet”, Jesus Christ (except that Jonah lived about 800 years earlier than Jesus).  (NOTE: The reader should also be aware that another prophet of God, Nahum, was evidently, like both Jonah and Jesus, also from Galilee, as Capernaum (which is located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee) in Hebrew means “village of Nahum“… Please see the study on the book of Nahum: ). At a minimum, one has to seriously question why the chief priests and Pharisees would have so ardently declared, “Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet,” given that the prophet of God, Jonah (and likely also Nahum), could clearly be identified with the region known as Galilee. As we go on, we will see that these locational correlations between Jonah and Jesus are far more than just coincidence, but, for the moment, it might be profitable to take a slight detour to review another aspect of this geographical information.

The “Winepress of Shame”?

From our geographical study of Gath-hepher we have found the unequivocal similarity between Jonah and Jesus based on the fact that both were “prophets” from Galilee.  However, there is one other aspect denoted by Gath-hepher that we must consider.  Gath-Hepher is a compound word that is generally thought to mean, “well of the winepress.”  In the Hebrew, Gath means “Winepress.”  The word hepher, while sometimes translated dig, pit, or well, also means “shame” or “reproach” https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Gath-hepher.html”  Amazingly, when we search the Bible, we can again see how this focuses our attention on Jesus.  Let’s look at the winepress first.

“Winepress”

“Gath” (גַּת, gat or gittah^H1660) is translated as “winepress” in Lamentations 1:15, “The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty [men] in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, [as] in a winepress ^H1660 (gath/gittah).” 

For further insight on the spiritual role of the “winepress” in scripture let’s look at these Bible verses:

Isaiah 63:1-6, “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat (winepress, גַּת (gaṯ) ^H1660 )? I (Jesus) have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and [there was] none to help; and I wondered that [there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.“ 

In Joel 3:13, we read, “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press (גַּת (gaṯ)) ^H1660 is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness [is] great.” And in Revelation 14:19, “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.” 

Psalm 58:10, “The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.“

In Revelation 19:13, we see this picture of Jesus, “And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.“

Moreover, in Isaiah 34:6, “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, [and] with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.“

Clearly the “winepress” refers to God’s wrath that must be brought to bear in judgment for sin.  Jesus, as the believers’ atoning sacrifice, first had to endure that wrath and suffer the shame of God’s reproach for their sins.  But for those who remain dead in trespasses and sins, they will be tread down in the winepress of God’s wrath by Jesus as their Judge.

“Shame”

It should be noted here that if we look closely at the word “hepher” (חָפַר (ḥāp̄ar) ^H2658) in the original Hebrew we find the following:

1. The verb חפר (hapar) means to dig, both in order to unearth something and to bury something. Hence this verb may be used both to describe (1) a quest for something wanted, and (2) a quest to obscure or cover-up something unwanted.
2. The latter usage appears to have evolved into its own verb, namely חפר (haper), to be ashamed, again both because (1) something secret was exposed or (2) something embarrassing is sought to be covered.

In both instances, we can clearly see that, from a Godly/Spiritual standpoint, the “something” that is to be both exposed or covered is SIN! Jesus bears the exposed sins of the believers, he bears our shame, He became “sin for us” as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  Also in Isaiah 53:5&6, “But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” And our sin is covered in the robes of Jesus Christ’s righteousness as we read in Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Jesus is the Bridegroom, and the eternal Israel (the eternal Church), is the Bride adorned in the robes of Christ’s righteousness.

Psalms 69 gives us a glimpse of the shame and reproach Jesus had to suffer.  However, we are also reminded how, on Judgment Day, Jesus will return as the Judge who pours out God’s judgment on the unsaved for whose sins He did not pay in the winepress of God’s wrath.  We read of this in Isaiah 47:3&4, “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet [thee as] a man, As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.” and in Daniel 12:2, “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.“

But thank God Almighty that all believers can joyously proclaim what we read in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.“!

Jonah: the “Dove” (a Sacrificial Animal Offering for the Poor and Leprous)

Did you know that Jonah’s name means “dove” or “pigeon” from the Hebrew word for יוֹנָה (yônâ)^H3123? Do these terms relate to/prefigure Jesus?  Indeed they do!  Remember what the dove or pigeon was used for in the scriptures?  The dove or pigeon was used as a sacrificial offering for the “poor” and “leprous“.  We read this in Leviticus 5:7, “And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.”  Also in Leviticus 14:29, “And the rest of the oil that [is] in the priest’s hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the LORD.  And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;  [Even] such as he is able to get, the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the LORD.  This [is] the law [of him] in whom [is] the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get [that which pertaineth] to his cleansing.“

We know that only Jesus is the valid atoning sacrifice which can satisfy God’s Levitical Law of Sacrifice for our spiritual destitution and the cleansing of our sin, our spiritual uncleannesses (typified by leprosy) and that it was He who was prefigured by the dove and the pigeon.  Interestingly, when we look in Jonah 1:4-16, we find that the mariners were forced to cast Jonah into the sea, because it was the only way that they could be saved from the tempest.  In essence, Jonah was “sacrificed” by the mariners to appease the wrath of God, which would have otherwise destroyed the ship and all who were aboard it. 

Let us take a look at some other places in the Bible where the dove appears. It is used as a representative of God or upon whom God shows favor.

In Genesis 8:11, we read where the dove was the messenger used by Noah to inform him as follows: “And the dove (יוֹנָה (yônâ))^H3123 came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.“

Psalm 68:13, “Though ye have lien among the pots, [yet shall ye be as] the wings of a dove (יוֹנָה (yônâ))^H3123 covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.“

Song of Solomon 2:14, “O my dove,(יוֹנָה (yônâ))^H3123 that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret [places] of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet [is] thy voice, and thy countenance [is] comely.” In this poetic allegory, the dove is a representation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should also remember God’s usage of the dove, to represent God the Holy Spirit, in the account of our LORD’s baptism, see Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:9, Luke 3:21&22, and John 1:31-34.

A pair of doves (turtledoves) or pigeons was also used as sacrificial offering for the purification of the poor mother of a newborn man child as we read in Leviticus 12:2&3, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.“, and Leviticus 12:8, “¶And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.” And is it not interesting that this is exactly what was offered at the dedication to the Lord of Jesus, as the first born of Mary, for here purification as we read in Luke 2:22-24, “¶And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.“

Conclusion: Jonah or Jesus?

By way of exhortation, let’s review what we have learned…

Jonah was indeed a prophet who arose from Galilee (the exact same region as Jesus!).  Furthermore, Jonah’s dwelling place was in Gath-hepher, which pointed to the judgment of God as we have seen.  That winepress was where the LORD became sin for the believers as God the Father pressed out of Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, the sweat as it were great drops of blood as one treading under foot the grapes in the vat. This was indeed the dwelling place of Jesus!  It was most necessary for Him to dwell in Gath-hepher for a time that He might become a sacrifice for the poor in spirit, the spiritually leprous and hence unclean with sin.  For the believers, Jesus became poor and unclean, that they might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9) and clean before God.  Jesus was also referred to by God as the Prophet.  Jonah was also the son of Amittai, which means “faithful” and “true”.  We know that Jesus is the Son of God who is Faithful and True and indeed is “The Truth“.  Finally, the dove (a clean sacrificial animal for the poor), again points us to the sacrifice of Christ for the sins of God’s elect, and it reminds us of the Holy Spirit as He came upon Jesus to validate His ministry as the Priest, Prophet, and King, and His evangelical work through His believers bringing salvation to a hostile world, yours and mine (typified by Nineveh in the book of Jonah).

Introduction

There is another “Hidden Gem” in the Bible that many people would easily miss apart from careful Holy Spirit led searching. By God’s grace alone, this student of the Bible is blessed to share this additional gem (first shown to me by another believer) with whomsoever God leads to this page. It has to do with the words “about a stone’s cast” as we find in Luke 22:41

Jesus’ Atonement Began after the Last Supper at the Beginning of Passover

Jesus’s Atoning Sacrifice at Jerusalem can be shown to have spanned three earthly days (and nights) as foreshadowed in the Old Testament in both Jonah and Nehemiah Chapter 2. It would begin after sundown Thursday night (night one) and following the Last Supper (the Passover meal with His Disciples). It would then continue through to His “physical” death on the cross, and subsequent burial that same Friday (day one). Then His body would lie in the tomb all of the Sabbath day (night two and day two). Then it remained in the tomb for another night, Saturday night (night three) and Jesus would arise from the dead on Sunday morning (the third day).  Note that it is also consistent with what we read in Matthew 12:40, where Jesus compared His Atonement period to the three days and three nights that Jonah was in the whale’s belly.

We know that the Atonement began Thursday night, because we learn that after the Thursday evening Passover meal (the feast of unleavened bread) that it was in the night. And it is interesting that, typically, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives at night, as we read in Luke 21:37 that Jesus would teach in the day time in the temple; “and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is call [the mount] of Olives.” However, the very last time Jesus went to the Mount of Olives on that Passover night, He stopped at the Garden of Gethsemane (which .  According to Luke 22:39, “And he (Jesus) came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.” 

We should all be aware that the Garden of Gethsemane is just east of Jerusalem at the base of the Mount of Olives by the uppermost part of the valley of the Brook Kidron and where Jesus’s Atonement began on Passover evening/night as we read in John 18:1,”When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron (“Cedron” is Kidron in Greek), where was a garden (Gethsemane), into the which he entered, and his disciples.” The account of Jesus suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane can be also be found in three other places in the Bible, in Matthew 26:36–46, Mark 14:32–42, Luke 22:39–46.  From those three descriptions, we learn that Jesus was in the Garden with the disciples, then Jesus told them to remain, while He went further with Peter, James, and John, and then, alone, a bit farther.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, after Jesus had separated Himself from His disciples “about a stone’s cast” as we read in Luke 22:41) and prayed three times (e.g., Luke 22:42), “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” The “cup” was the cup of God’s wrath that Jesus had to take in penalty for the sins of God’s elect. Remember also shortly afterward where Jesus reprimanded Peter for trying to protect Him in John 18:11, “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”  Moreover we know that the Garden was where the agony of the Atonement had begun because we read in Luke 22:44, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” This verse is sufficient alone to tell us that Jesus Atoning Sacrifice had Spiritually begun in the Garden of Gethsemane, but there is further corroboration, if we only look more closely.

A Stone’s Cast?

The significance of Luke 22:41 should not be missed by the reader. “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,” The language of a stone’s cast is important because the casting of stones has great significance in the Bible.  It is used to condemn someone to death in the Bible.  Jesus was condemned to death on the behalf of all those who would believe on Him as their Lord God and Savior.  Any sin is sufficient to justify death by stoning, not just blasphemy against God or murder. Remember that in Numbers 15:32-36, we read of a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath was subsequently taken outside of the camp and stoned to death by God’s command to Moses.

Additionally, when we think of stoning in the Bible, John 8:2-11, comes to mind where Jesus was challenged by the scribes and Pharisees to command a woman taken in adultery be stoned to death we read of Jesus’ answer in John 8:7, “¶So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.“

More significantly, there is another case that we should all be aware of regarding “stoning”.  In Deuteronomy 21:18 we read, “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and [that], when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; [he is] a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.¶ And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God😉 that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.    We should all remember that Jesus was accused, falsely, of being a glutton and a drunkard in Luke 7:34, “The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!”  And following Jesus’s Passion in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was spiritually deemed to have been worthy of stoning on behalf of the elect, Jesus hung on the cross on that same Passover day, and that cross, being hewn of wood, served as a “tree” as we read in Galatians 3:13 , “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:” And Jesus’s body was buried before sun down that day in the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea as recorded in Matthew 27:57-60.

The mention of “a stone’s cast” was placed there by God to show that Jesus had at that point come under judgment for the sins of God’s elect. 2 Corinthians 5:21 makes clear that, “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.“

Jesus was subsequently tormented in every way until His death on the cross, that occurred just outside the walls of Jerusalem on Friday afternoon (the ninth hour, or 3:00 p.m.).  Then Jesus’s body was buried in the tomb and remained there, Friday night (the second night) through Saturday (the sabbath day and the second day), through Saturday night until the resurrection early Sunday morning, which marked the third day.

Conclusion

May the reader be blessed with not only this understanding (that the Bible is replete with such amazing hidden gems that reveal the Supernatural origin of the Bible) but more importantly that the Bible is True and that Jesus (Who Is The Word made flesh) Is The Only Way to Peace and Eternal Life with God for the remission of sin through Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice. Jesus is indeed “The Way, The Truth, and The Life“.