Parasha Chukat (Regulation,Commands) Num.19-22:1 Judg.11:1-33
By Raphael ben Levi
This week’s Torah portion is taken from Num.19-22 read in all synagogues throughout the world that contains several interesting and unique stories: Moses strikes the rock defying God’s instructions and forfeits his right to enter the land of Canaan and included is the event concerning the bronze snake. And the portion introduces the pagan hireling prophet Balaam which we will be a focus next week.
In the Torah are different types of commands which fall into three categories:
1. Edut—commemorative commands (e.g.,eating matzah on Pesach);
2.Mishpatim—rational commandments, such as offering charity
3.Chukat —a command that transcends reason and makes no sense.
The opening chapter of Num.19 is devoted entirely to this third category – “Chukat,” referring to the red heifer, (“Parah Adumah”) concerning a command related to the law of purification. The red heifer was a young female cow who had not yet borne a calf or worn a yoke and was selected only if it was without blemish or spot that might only be discovered once in several generations. The sacrifice of the red heifer was unique because it used a female animal and was the only sacrifice in which the colour of the animal was specified.
Unlike other sacrifices, it was slaughtered and burned outside the Israelite camp, and later in history specifically outside the city gates on the Mount of Olives, (opposite the eastern gate of the Temple Mount) facing the Temple. The sacrifice of the red heifer was overseen by Eliezar the priest and after it was slaughtered, Eleazar sprinkled some of its blood toward the front of the tabernacle seven times (v.4). Then he left the camp again and oversaw the burning of the carcass (v.5). As the red heifer burned, the priest added “some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool” to the fire (v.6).
Afterwards, its ashes were mixed with natural spring water, “the waters of purification” with the purpose to ritually cleanse those who had been contaminated through contact with death. Even close proximity to a grave (defined as within the distance of one’s shadow) made a person unclean (tamei). Consequently, tombs were whitewashed and clearly marked to warn those passing by to give plenty of space lest they became defiled. When Yeshua described the Pharisees as ‘whitewashed tombs,’ it was a severe reprimand immediately understood and of great offence to them.
From a spiritual perspective, every form of defilement separates us from God and is connected to death because, “the wages of sin is death” as we see graphically illustrated in Ps.51 when King David cried out to God following his sin with Bathsheba: “Lev tahor bra-li Elohim, Veruakh nakhon Chadesh be-kirbi Al tash-lokheyni mil’fanekha, Veruakh kodshekha, al tikakh mimeni” Create in me a pure heart, O God, And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, And take not Thy holy Spirit from me.”
According to the MIshna, (Parah 3.5) from the time of Moses until the destruction of the 2nd Temple, only nine red heifers had been discovered and used who qualified and were sacrificed to prepare the waters of purification. Again, it’s important to note that the red heifer had to be entirely red, without blemish or defect, and was sacrificed outside the camp. The first red heifer was prepared by Moses, the second by Ezra and seven more from Ezra onwards making nine in total. The Jewish sages taught that the tenth heifer would be prepared by the coming Messiah as prophesied in Dan.9:26 before the 2nd Temple’s destruction in 70AD: “After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple.” This prophecy was later reinterpreted in traditional Judaism for obvious reasons and Jewish people today are still awaiting their Messiah 2000 years after the event and this is specifically linked to the rebuilding of the 3rd Temple. This explains why there is so much interest and excitement among mainly orthodox Jewish circles today because it is intrinsically linked to the coming of the Messiah who they will discover will turn out to be the Anti-Christ but only after they make peace with him together with the nations that will usher in the tribulation.
As believers we do not rely on the oral law to confirm the establishment of a 3rd temple for its authority and veracity is clearly found in Scripture. Yeshua prophesied the desecration of the temple would occur during the Great Tribulation (Matt.24:15; 2Thess.2:4) so obviously there will need to be a temple for that event to occur. Therefore, in order to dedicate the 3rd Temple, and in order to follow Jewish law, the ashes of a red heifer, mixed with water, will be needed for the ceremonial cleansing. Since we know that an eligible red heifer has been found, this is one more piece of the jigsaw puzzle in place that fulfils biblical prophecy.
Understandably, there was a great messianic fervour throughout Israel around the time of Yeshua in the firm conviction that Messiah’s coming was imminent, and this links in to our parasha as we consider with the prophetic significance of the red heifer that was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Yeshua for sin.
Since the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple under Ezra and Nehemiah no eligible red heifer was found. But now Yeshua prophesied something totally radical towards the end of His earthly ministry. In Jn.2:19 Yeshua declared publicly, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” and His statement confused everyone, but Scripture clarifies that Yeshua was “referring to the temple of his body” (v. 21) rather than the physical temple where they were standing.
The irony here was that their misunderstanding added to the religious hierarchy playing a role in the destruction of Yeshua’s body. During His trial, one of the charges levied against Him was specifically that He promised to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days (Matt.26:60–61; Mk. 14:57–59). As He was being crucified they mocked Him for being unable to fulfil His promise (or so they believed): “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!’” (Mk.15:29–30). They were unaware that they were in fact helping to fulfil Yeshua’s promise as they were mocking Him.
Three days later at His resurrection, Yeshua’s earthly ministry was completed, death and hell were destroyed, and the Temple representing His body would be replaced by His Holy Spirit indwelling within every believer. Let’s take a closer look at this.
In the year of Yeshua’s death and resurrection Caiaphas (Jn.18:24) was the High Priest (8-36AD) and prophesied that Yeshua was going to die for the nation (Jn.11:51). On that Passover they took Yeshua’s corpse from the cross before sunset so that they did not profane the commencement of Erev Pesach that would have fallen on a Wednesday evening that year.
Those who buried Yeshua became unclean for seven days, equivalent to the last Day of Unleavened Bread (7 days). The ashes of the Red Heifer would have been used to sanctify the people in these circumstances. But Yeshua had to be placed in a clean tomb that had borne no other corpse, symbolic of the remains of the heifer because He had to remain uncontaminated until his ascension whereupon His death satisfied the entire sacrificial requirements of the Temple once and for all.
So, the 10th heifer that was sacrificed in 30 CE under the high priesthood of Caiaphas symbolised the sacrifice of Yeshua and the dedication of the new Temple built not with human hands but with the Holy Spirit that the apostle Paul writes is composed of living stones. Through our redemption won for us by Yeshua, every believer now becomes a habitation or “temple” of the Holy Spirit which is the seal or mark of salvation, likened to the blood on the lintels and doorposts of every Israelite home in their exodus from Egypt to freedom.
So, the tenth red heifer was already long gone 40 years before the destruction of the 2nd temple and is perhaps one reason why Rabbi Akiva scrambled to make sense of it by declaring Bar Kochba to be the long awaited Mashiach, but he got it badly wrong resulting in almost 2000 years of Jewish exile.
The ashes of a red heifer which cleanse a person from defilement has been a mystery for Jewish people, it was a “chok,” as they questioned how it could be possible for the ashes of the red heifer to purify the defiled yet defile the pure? But things now become clear for every believer as we understand how every requirement surrounding the sacrificial process of the red heifer (Parah Adumuh) was fulfilled perfectly by Yeshua. He alone was without sin or blemish (2Cor.5:21;Jn.8:46), and yet became sin for us and was killed outside the camp (Heb.13:12–13). He has earned for us the right to be cleansed from all sin and defilement (1Pet.1:2; Heb.12:24; Rev.1:5; Eph.5:25–6), not with the ashes of the Red Heifer, nor the blood of bulls and goats, but through His perfect sacrifice for us.
“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ASHES OF A HEIFER sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Heb.9:13–14)
Yeshua offers us life out of death. He conquered death and now offers life for whosoever receives Him as their personal saviour and Lord. Through Him, we no longer remain outside the “camp” because He has provided for us cleansing from the defilement of sin, and eternal redemption, not with the ashes of the red heifer, nor the blood of bulls and goats, but through His life-blood shed for us.
In Num.9:6, we read about another curious instruction for the priest regarding the sacrifice of the red heifer: “The priest is to take cedar-wood hyssop and scarlet yarn and throw them onto the heifer as it is burning up.”
Cedar wood (‘erez’) is aromatic and its scent was a soothing aroma covering the stench of death that was used in ritual cleansing (such as for a leper) [Lev.14:4].
Hyssop was a symbol of purification and also used for the cleansing of someone healed from leprosy.
When the Israelites marked their doorposts with lamb’s blood so that the angel of death would pass over them, they were instructed to use a bunch of hyssop as a paintbrush signifying that God was marking His people as “pure.” (Ex.12:22).
David also mentions hyssop in Ps.51:7: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” referring to cleansing from sin through genuine repentance (Teshuva).
The Roman soldiers offered Yeshua a drink of wine vinegar on a sponge at the end of a stalk of hyssop at His crucifixion (Jn.19:28–30). This is a beautiful picture of purification, as Yeshua bought our forgiveness with His sacrifice. Even as blood and hyssop purified a defiled person so Yeshua’s shed blood purifies us from the defilement of sin.
Now we come to the mystery of the scarlet thread referred to in various places in Scripture. For example, Solomon describes the Shulamitte woman who he loved with lips that he likened to a scarlet thread “Your lips are like a thread of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely.” Here he was prophetically referring to the seal of God’s promises for those who know and love Him that was fulfilled through Yeshua. It portrays a love story which exceeds even the Song of Solomon. If we translate the context of the words spoken by Solomon, we see hidden a reinforcement of a promise to every believer. The scarlet thread figuratively represents the Divine promise of redemption and a mark of protection against the judgment of God. The lips seal His promises that are fulfilled through Yeshua.
King Solomon described the Shulamite woman’s lips that represented an event yet to take place; of a redeemer who stripped Himself of His Divine glory, was treated as a common criminal, scorned and rejected of men and afforded a pauper’s grave. Solomon, who was a direct descendent of Rahab, provides us with a glimpse of the relationship between Messiah and His chosen people. No wonder Rahab is included in the hall of fame as a heroine of faith alongside Abraham and others! The biblical definition of faith reminds us of Rahab, (the substance of things hoped for and the reality of things not seen) representing the scarlet thread, the bloodline through whom would emerge the promised Messiah. Rahab later married Salmon, from the tribe of Judah through whom Yeshua was directly descended.
Rahab was a harlot who saved the lives of 2 Israelite spies sent out to check out Jericho. As a result Joshua destroyed Jericho and Rahab and her entire family were spared and became a part of the Jewish people. What was the sign of protection for Rahab and her household? It was the scarlet thread: “Behold, when we (Israelites) come into the land, you (Rahab) shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down.” The scarlet thread reveals to us that God has planned a way of escape and a mark of protection against His judgment.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day within Judaism, and was central to the kaparah (covering) of the sins of Israel. The priests placed a scarlet thread on the door of the temple which miraculously turned white if God accepted the sacrifice, demonstrating that He had forgiven the sins of the people.
The rabbis taught that 40 years prior to the destruction of the Temple (i.e. 30AD) the scarlet thread ceased to become white in accordance with a declaration made in the Talmud, Tractate Yoma 39 “and it has further been taught: ‘For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red’.” ) coinciding exactly with the time Yeshua was crucified in 30AD.
Yeshua’s sacrifice was an eternal offering for sin now making the need for accepting animal sacrifices for sin obsolete.
“Come now, and let us reason together, says the YHVH: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
But why does the MIllennium Temple make provision for sacrifices if Yeshua has provided us with a permanent solution to sin? (cf. Ezek.40). Very possibly it will be there as a reminder of the eternal sacrifice made by Yeshua, which as described in the Book of Hebrews, is a better sacrifice than the old system. (Heb.10:1-18) But I believe there is something deeper. There must be a third temple in Jerusalem since as already mentioned Yeshua prophesied that one would be desecrated during the Tribulation (Matt.24:15; 2 Thess.2:4). So, in order to dedicate this end-times temple they will need to apply the ashes of a red heifer, mixed with water, for the ceremonial cleansing in accordance to the biblical command.
Since the 4th Temple will be modelled on the one described in Ez.40-48, perhaps the sacrifices offered during the Millennium reign of the 4th Temple will include the 5 sacrificial offerings but minus the ones involving the shedding of blood. There were two mandatory sacrifices in the OT and one voluntary offering in this category:
- the sin offering whose purpose was to atone for sin and cleanse from defilement.
- the trespass offering was used as atonement for unintentional sins, defiling sins or physical illness such as leprosy.
- the burnt offering was a voluntary act of worship to express devotion or commitment to God but also as atonement for unintentional sin. The burnt offering could include a bull, a bird, or a ram without blemish.
None of these three types of offerings would apply in the Millennium unless they were modified since Yeshua will be ruling and reigning within a culture of perfect harmony as it was in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. Since the perfect and final sacrifice of Yeshua had been made, these aspects of the sacrificial service will no longer be necessary!
However, there are two other sacrifices that could be conducted without the shedding of blood during the millennium:
- the grain offering, Here agricultural produce was offered that was presented in the form of baked bread made of grain, fine flour, and oil and salt. This was accompanied by a drink offering of wine which was poured into the fire on the altar (Num.15:4–5). The grain offering was an expression thanksgiving in recognition of God’s provision and grace.
- Also there was the peace offering, which could consist of various grains or breads that will be offered as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and fellowship followed by a shared meal.
The sacrifices in the Torah point forward to the perfect and final sacrifice of Yeshua that were “a shadow of the things to come” which will find final completion of expression in the millennium. Yeshua’s atoning death was the only needed sacrifice for sin that was offered once for all for the remission of our sins (Heb.10:1–10). His death opened the “holy place” for us (Heb.10:19–22) so that we can freely enter God’s presence and offer our “sacrifice of praise” unto Him. (Heb.13:15; cf. 9:11–28; 4:14—5:10). These are the sacrifices we will present before the Lord that will resound from the 4th Temple in the millennium age filled with everlasting praise and worship!
Time as we know it is drawing to a close as the return of the Lord draws ever near. These are pivotal moments for our lives as believers which those who have gone before us would have given anything to be alive in this final generation. These are exciting though perilous times and Scripture urges us to be ready and fully equipped in our service of Him – not to bury our heads in the sand: not to curl up in a corner through discouragement or being fainthearted, for our God reigns and there is still much to be done before His return!
A king once told his son to take a huge stone up to the first floor of the palace. The stone was large and heavy; neither strong people, nor horses, nor machines could move it. The prince was very perplexed. After trying in vain, he became discouraged and gave up.
When the king came and asked for an explanation, the prince admitted his failure:
“It was impossible!” he exclaimed.
“Do you really think that I would have asked you to do something impossible?” exclaimed the king.
“You should have thought about it! Did I ask you to take up the stone in one piece? If you had taken a hammer and started hitting it, you could have lifted up the small pieces and accomplished your work little by little.”
This rock, the enormous stone, is our heart. Unless we allow God to break the stony hardness of our hearts, piece by piece, we will never be able to enter His ‘palace’ and fulfil His royal commission made possible through the One who is our “parah adamah” (red heifer) and the scarlet cord who has sealed our salvation. The ‘chok’ has been revealed – the mystery is solved!
“19 Brothers and sisters, because of the blood of Yeshua we can now confidently go into the holy place. 20 He has opened a new and living way for us to go through the curtain. (The curtain is his own body.) 21 We have a superior priest in charge of God’s house. 22 We have been sprinkled with his blood to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come to him with a sincere heart and strong faith. 23 We must continue to hold firmly to our declaration of faith. The one who made the promise is faithful.
24 We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. 25 We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.” (Heb.10)
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