Mordecai gave his adopted daughter the cryptic name Esther, concealing her true nationality with the Persian name for Ishtar. Hebrew readers immediately smile at Mordecai’s pun, for in this Jewish language, it means “I will hide.”[1]  Indeed, many hidden treasures, such as God’s name, divine intervention, Esther’s people, and even Passover, are subtly concealed in plain sight within the scroll.

Although the book is titled Esther, Mordecai emerges as a type of the Messiah, given a crown and elevated to the second position in the kingdom. Let us delve into four mysteries of the Messiah within the scroll and how Mordecai’s life foreshadowed Yeshua’s future mission. As we explore these mysteries, consider the task God has given each of us to accomplish for such a time as this.

I. The Mystery of an Unexpected King

Mordecai is a type of the King Messiah, descended from the line of Saul, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin. (Esther 2:5-10) The restoration of a kingly line is but one of the Scroll’s mysteries.  To help us understand the hints within the Scroll to the line of Saul, we must examine a method of Biblical interpretation popular during the Second Temple period, used by early Jewish sages such as Hillel and even Yeshua the Lord. This hermeneutic method connects separate texts of Scripture based upon a shared phrase or sentence.[2]  While the technical name for this is Gezeira Shava, we might think of it as a hyperlink. For instance, Yeshua hyperlinked Deuteronomy 6:5, “And you shall love the Lord God…” to Leviticus 19:18, “And you shall love your neighbor….”, using the connecting phrase, “V’Ahavta” (And you shall love).

The Scroll of Esther repeatedly uses this method to subtly connect King Saul and King Agag of the Amalekites to the drama of Mordecai, Esther, and Haman. One example is the words of Samuel the Prophet to King Saul and the advisors to King Ahasuerus in the Esther Scroll.

“And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you” I Samuel 15:28 ESV

Regarding the removal of Queen Vashti, the advisors say, “And let the king give her royal position to another (neighbor)  who is better than she.” Esther 1:19b ESV

What connects these texts written some five hundred years apart?  King Saul lost his position to David, “his neighbor,” “better than him,” because he left Agag alive and refused to wipe out the Amalekites.  And in the scroll, Vashti saw her royal position given to Esther, her “neighbor” “who is better than she.”  Scholars see this as a reversal and temporary revival of Saul’s royal line. Esther came to the kingdom “for such a time” when Haman, a descendant of Agag and Amalek, sought to destroy all of Israel.[3]

Not only was Esther a descendant of Kish, Mordecai was also of Saul’s royal line! And his refusal to bow to Haman sets the stage for the “dice to be cast” for redemption.

II. The Mystery of Man Who Would not Bow

“And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury”. Esther 3:5 NKJV

Mordecai’s refusal to bow became a catalyst for the conflict and contains a mystery. What was it in Mordecai’s’ refusal that triggered Haman’s attempt at the destruction of the entire Jewish people? (Esther 3:6) And, more so, why exactly did Mordecai refuse?

Jewish commentaries note that the combination of the terms “bowing” and “paying homage,” literally bowing and prostrating oneself, implies an act of worship. To Mordecai, this was idolatry. But Mordecai’s reaction to hearing Haman’s Holocaust decree gives us another hyperlink—this time to the story of Jacob and Esau.

“As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” Genesis 27:34 ESV

“When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.” Esther 4:1 ESV

In Hebrew, the phrase “loud and bitter cry” is nearly identical. Thus, early Jewish commentaries from the 3rd to 5th century AD already saw the intertextual connection (Gezeira shava) between Mordecai’s distress and Esau’s.[4]  This gives us more of the backstory of Mordecai’s refusal to bow before Haman, a descendant of Esau.

An Ancient Enmity                        

What connects Esau and Jacob to Haman and Mordecai? We remember that Esau’s grandson, Eliphaz, was the father of Amalek (Gen. 36:12). Amalek is the dynasty from which King Agag and Haman descended. Knowing this we understand why Haman was triggered upon learning Mordecai’s nationality. We also see that this is a spiritual war.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Exodus 17:14-16 ESV

Benjamin Would Not Bow

God is at war with Amalek from generation to generation. Further, we see an interesting parallel, which the rabbis couldn’t help but note.  All of Jacob’s sons bowed down to Esau when Jacob’s family returned from Padan Aram – all except one! (Gen. 33:3-7) Benjamin, from whom both Saul, Mordecai, and Esther are descended, did not bow, having not yet been born.  Could it be that King Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, was destined to defeat this enemy?

The Messiah Who Refused to Bow

This mysterious, ancient scroll hints at a deep past but also foreshadows Yeshua, the King Messiah, who would not bow to Satan.  Mordecai’s refusal even points to the book of Revelation, when another “troubler of the Jews” (Tzorer), the antichrist, will demand all people bow down to him. Even now, such demands are being made of the righteous to accept those things which God calls an abomination. We must stand courageous like Mordecai in the strength of Yeshua the Messiah, unwavering and completely trusting God.

Now, we will examine Mordecai’s rescue from a decree of death during Passover and its foreshadowing of the King Messiah.

III. The Mystery of Messiah Raised During Passover

“In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.” Esther 3:7 ESV

We don’t often think of the redemptive element of Passover in the Purim Story. The date for the genocide against the Jewish people, the 14^th of the month of Adar, was decided by the casting of lots called Purim. However, the Purim were not cast in the twelfth month, Adar; they were cast in the first month – the month of Nisan. Likewise, the decree of destruction was sent on the 13^th day of the month of Nisan, the day before Passover!  And here lies one of the most powerful hidden truths. Mordecai heard the decree and tore his robes on the eve of Passover, and the providential hand of God turned Israel’s story toward redemption in this same sacred season. As one of Israel’s sages said, “In Nisan, we were redeemed, and in Nisan, we are destined to be redeemed again.”[5]

“Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded….” Esther 3:12 ESV

Rather than mentioning that this is Passover, the Scroll gives us the dates, omitting their significance.  By telling us the date on the calendar without mentioning the feast’s name, the author lightly concealed the shocking fact that Esther called the nation to a fast when they should be feasting on the Passover lamb.  Furthermore, Mordecai will be immersed in a drama he knows nothing about. One in which a despot is plotting to hang Mordecai on a tree, and a king’s sleepless night that reverses the plot – all during Passover week!

A Passover Cry

“When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.” Esther 4:1 ESV

Like Mordecai’s deep, bitter cry just before Passover, Yeshua wept bitterly on our behalf in the Garden of Gethsemane.  And from the cross He cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” (Mt. 27:46, Mk. 15:34)

And as was done to Yeshua, the enemy sought to have Mordecai hung on a tree.  But the night before, the king could not sleep and called for the royal records to be read, revealing Mordecai’s bravery in saving the king. When Haman entered the king’s court to put his plan into action, he was thwarted, humiliated, and forced to dress Mordecai in royal robes, place him on the king’s horse, and walk before him shouting, ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’ Esther 6:9 NKJV

“Afterward Mordecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.” Esther 6:12 ESV

This was simply the beginning of the reversal of the enemy’s decree upon the Jewish people. Rather than crucifixion, Mordecai was elevated above his enemies around the 16th and 17th of Nisan. Esther’s banquets finally exposed Haman. He met his end while being hung on the same tree intended for Mordecai during Passover week.

Messiah Victor and Redeemer

Mordecai’s rescue is a powerful type of the Messiah.  To some, it appeared Yeshua had lost. In reality, He won our great redemption.  Three days after his crucifixion, approximately the same day Mordecai was raised above his enemies, Yeshua was raised from the dead!  As David prophesied of the Messiah, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” Psalm 16:10 ESV

Yeshua’s resurrection is the proof of our pardon. And, just as Haman and his sons were humiliated before Mordecai, Satan and the principalities of evil were made a public spectacle by the resurrection of Yeshua, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Colossians 2:14-15)

Finally, let us look at one more mystery of the Messiah hidden within the Scroll—the destruction of Haman’s ten sons and the fall of ten future kings in Revelation.

IV. The Mystery of the One Who Overcomes Ten Kings

“And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day’s edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” So, the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.” Esther 9:13-14 ESV

Some see a prophetic element in Esther’s request.  “Let it be granted…again tomorrow according to today’s decree.” (Esther 9:11) Haman’s sons were already dead; why ask for them to be hanged on the following day?   Some believe a future deliverance from ten adversaries is being referenced.[6] Just such a parallel occurred in the 20^th Century with the Nuremberg trials; twelve architects of the Nazi regime were sentenced to hang. One was convicted in absentia, and one committed suicide.  This left ten men to be put to the gallows.  One, Julius Streicher, with his final words, shouted, “Purim-fest 1946!” having realized their historical parallel to Haman’s ten sons.[7]

Ten Kings in the End Times

But I see a more significant parallel to the future.  The drama of Haman the Amalekite and his ten sons will once again play on the world’s stage during the Great Tribulation. Then, the Antichrist and Beast will be given the power to rule through ten kings.  These not only lend their authority to the Beast; with one mind, they will make war with the Lamb (Yeshua).  The Lamb, it says, “will overcome them!”

“And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” Revelation 17:12-14 ESV

Messiah, the Great King

I believe Mordecai spoke of Yeshua, the Messiah from the house of David when he told Esther,

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 ESV

Esther’s house was that of King Saul.  Had she failed, her “father’s house” would have been completely lost. But Mordecai spoke of deliverance and a deliverer from another place. What “other place”?  What other royal line existed within Israel?  That of David, the rightful heir to Israel’s throne.  Mordecai was a type of the King Messiah for “such a time” from the house of Saul, but I believe he prophesied of the Great King Messiah who would arise from the house of David.  He is the ultimate deliverer, “Even so, come Lord Yeshua”!

Conclusion

Mordecai emerged as a royal figure arrayed in robes of blue and white with a crown of gold. It says there was “light and gladness, joy and honor” for the Jewish people! And many of the nations were so impacted that they also became Jewish. What a beautiful type of Messiah! Born of a royal house, he did not bow before the enemy and won Israel’s great victory for Israel during the Passover! But it is Yeshua who will ultimately blot Amalek out from remembrance.  And through Him, the true light, gladness, joy, and honor will shine upon God’s people in the millennial reign.  And what about the nations who will come through the tribulation?  They will come up to Jerusalem to worship the Great King each year!

Are we ready for Messiah’s return? The book of Esther tells us that we have a part in God’s redemptive plan. We were created to stand against the enemy’s schemes in such a time, for such a generational battle as this. We can only do that by first joining ourselves to the Messiah. Esther had a choice: stick with Mordecai and follow God’s plan or attempt to save herself but ultimately perish. May we stand with the Lord and see the redemption He will bring.

[1] Mordecai overheard the guards plotting against the king speaking in their language, not suspecting they could be understood. (Esther 2:22-23) Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7 list Mordecai as a returning exile, followed by Balshan (linguist). Tradition reads Balshan as a title instead of a separate name.

[2] Hillel and Rabbi Ishmael both codified this method of Biblical Interpretation called Gezeira Shava.

[3] Berger, Yitzhak. “Esther and Benjaminite Royalty: A Study in Inner-Biblical Allusion.” Journal of Biblical Literature 129, no. 4 (Winter 2010): 625–44. doi:10.2307/25765958.

[4] Genesis Rabbah, 67:4

[5] Rabbi Yehoshua, Rosh HaShanah, 11a.2 בְּנִיסָן נִגְאֲלוּ בְּנִיסָן עֲתִידִין לִיגָּאֵל””.

[6]Emmanuel Bloch, “Purimfest 1946: The Nuremberg Trials and the Ten Sons of Haman”, The Torah.com

[7] Ibid

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“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” John 10: 22-25 NKJV

Soon we will celebrate Hanukkah, meaning dedication, to commemorate the restoration of Jerusalem’s Temple by Judah Maccabee. In 167 BC, the Seleucid King Antiochus IV attempted to destroy the Jewish people through assimilation. He forbade circumcision, observing the Sabbath, defiled the Holy Temple, and demanded idol worship. Mattathias Maccabee and his sons revolted against these decrees, miraculously defeated the Greek army, and rededicated the House of God, relighting the Holy Menorah in 164 BC.

However, was the date of future Hanukkah miracles predicted by Haggai, one of the last prophets in the Old Testament, and did he connect that date to the revealing of Messiah and restoration of the Temple?

Before we look into that mystery, however, we must note that the New Testament is one of the earliest references to the observance of Hanukkah outside the intertestamental books of Maccabees and Josephus. In John 10:22-25, Jesus revealed His Messianic mission at the Temple during Hanukkah! Therefore, though Christians are not required to keep Hanukkah, they may do so in solidarity with the Jewish people and as a celebration of Illumination and Dedication to the Father of Lights, and Jesus, His Son.

I. The Feast of Illumination

Hanukkah is commonly called the “Feast of Lights”. After Antiochus’ defeat, the victorious Judah Maccabee restored and purified the Temple. Although tradition says there was only enough consecrated oil to light the seven-branched menorah for one day, miraculously, the oil lasted eight days and nights.

The Hanukkah Menorah

The eight-branched Hanukkah lamp commemorates that miracle and is an adaptation of the seven-branched menorah. A ninth branch often raised above the others, is called the Shamash or servant candle. It descends from on high bringing life and light to the others, and afterward returns to its place above. The Shamash‘s flame is not diminished through sharing its light. One cannot help but see a powerful picture of the Suffering Servant whom Isaiah said would be Salvation and Light for all people. After bringing His Light from above, He has returned to His exalted place with the Father.

“It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'” Isaiah 49:6 NKJV

As we light these lamps, our Shamash is the Christ Candle symbolizing the “True Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” John 1:9 NKJV

But there is an even more ancient name than the Feast of Lights for Hanukkah, one which Jesus and the disciples would have known – the Feast of Dedication. What are the prophetic connections between the Feast of Dedication and Jesus’ Messianic mission?

II. The Feast of Dedication

 “Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid—consider it:“ Haggai 2:18 NKJV

Initially, a date associated with the laying of the Second Temple’s foundations by the returning exiles from Babylon in the late sixth Century BC, Haggai, through the Holy Spirit, saw future fulfillments. Four times, in Haggai 2:10, 15, 18, and 20, he called the reader to mark the 24^th day of the ninth month from that time forward. What other powerful events happened on this day?

The Shaking of the Nations

Several hundred years after Haggai’s prophecy, the Maccabees liberated Jerusalem and the Jewish people from Antiochus’ control. Amazingly, Judah Maccabee entered Jerusalem on the 24^th day of the ninth month (Kislev) and rededicated the Temple on the 25^th day – the very date Haggai predicted for future shakings and restoration. However, even greater miracles than this would come on this date.

The Desire of All Nations

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:6-9 NKJV

The “Desire of All Nations” is the Messiah and the Lord. On the same date Haggai predicted, John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus was at the Temple at the Feast of Dedication.

“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” John 10: 22-25 NKJV

The “Feast of Dedication” derives its name from the Hebrew word Hanukkah. Almost two hundred years after the events of the Maccabees, and some five hundred years since Haggai’s prophecy, Jesus revealed His messianic mission to the people. The crowd asked Him, “Tell us plainly, are you the Messiah? Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.” John 10:25 NKJV

With His visit, the stage was set for these words to be fulfilled, ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former.”

Shaking in the Heavens

Is there a connection between Hanukkah and the star of Bethlehem?

Dr. D James Kennedy and E.W. Bullinger note that a star in the constellation Virgo (the virgin) was associated by the ancients with Bethlehem, and called the “Desired One,” a reference to Haggai’s coming One named the “Desire of All Nations”.[1]

“The first of the three minor constellations in the house of Virgo is called Coma. Coma means “the desired” or “the longed for one.” It is a picture of a woman with a child in her lap. The book of Haggai tells us, “The desire of all nations shall come” (Haggai 2:7). Jesus Christ is the Desire of all nations who was to come. We are told in ancient tradition that the star of Bethlehem was in the constellation Coma.”[2] The Gospel in the Stars, D James Kennedy

Could this have been part of the sign in the Heavens that initially drew the wise men? Interestingly, Haggai gives us a date for the appearance of the Desire of All Nations and the coming glory upon God’s Temple as the 24^th day of the ninth month.

Hanukkah’s Shakings Continue

” And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:6-9 NKJV

As Hanukkah of 1917 approached, Jewish families in Jerusalem prepared their Menorahs for the impending collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the liberation of Jerusalem. Might this year see open celebrations of Hanukkah within the city? On December 9^th, the 24^th day of the ninth month (Kislev), Jerusalem was surrendered to the British forces. Two days later, the 11th of December, General Allenby led a delegation through Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate to great fanfare – the second day of Hanukkah.[3] Before entering those ancient gates, however, he descended his horse to walk on foot. He would not enter on a magnificent horse the city which his Lord entered on a donkey! That shaking set the stage for the British Mandate period and eventual restoration of the State of Israel.

But even this does not fulfill the depth of Haggai’s prophecy. Might there yet be a future shaking of restoration for this strategic date?

Conclusion

“…But from this day I will bless you.'” Haggai 2:19

We are again engaged in a cultural war of assimilation. The spirit that compelled Antiochus to call himself a god and demand the Jewish people bow to his cultural idols is at work today. We must not allow our light to be extinguished. For some, we may need to purify our Temple again and rekindle the flame. Tonight, as we light the Hanukkah lamp, I invite you to rededicate yourself to follow Christ, whose true Light dispels all darkness.

[1] E. W. Bullinger, The Witness of the Stars (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1972).

[2] D James Kennedy, “The Gospel in the Stars,” djameskennedy.com, accessed December 17, 2022, https://www.djameskennedy.com/SitePlanner/Timeless%20PDFs/GOSPEL%20IN%20THE%20STARS-THE_DJK18549A%20(1).pdf.

[3] “The First Hanukkah in British Jerusalem, 1917 ” Mosaic,” Mosaic, December 14, 2022, https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/history-ideas/2022/12/the-first-hanukkah-in-british-jerusalem-1917/.

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NO ORDINARY SHEPHERDS

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Luke 2:8

Bethlehem’s fields are just a few miles south of Jerusalem. Tradition says that in them was a migdal eder (tower of the flock), to guard the very sheep destined for Temple sacrifice. And as Jewish historian, Alfred Edersheim, points out these were manned by no ordinary shepherds!

“That the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, was a settled conviction. Equally so was the belief that He was to be revealed from Migdal Eder, ‘the tower of the flock’…A Passage in the Mishnah leads to the conclusion that the flocks, which pastured there were destined for Temple sacrifices, and accordingly, that the shepherds, who watched over them, were not ordinary Shepherds.” The Life and Times of Jesus, Edersheim, 186-187

Those shepherds, trained to spot the slightest blemish, examined Heaven’s perfect lamb!

NO ORDINARY BABY

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Rather than December, Yeshua may have been born around the Fall month of October and the Feast of Tabernacles. If so, how appropriate that at this time the Word was made Flesh and tabernacled among us! Yeshua however was not like any other baby born. He was born of a virgin, (Luke 1:35-36) the Savior, Messiah, and Lord. No more excellent titles were ever bestowed upon man. But the manger itself revealed the purpose of His coming.

NO ORDINARY MANGER

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger” Luke 2:7

As I stood with my little ones in the cave, the same which Justyn Martyr had identified as early as 150 AD, I looked to the manger now covered in marble and thought, what must it have looked like originally? The first authentic manger, ebus, in Hebrew, that I saw looked nothing like the wooden feeding trough of my childhood nativity scenes. It was made from a cut block of limestone, about two feet long, a foot wide, and deep. Its inside was chiseled all the way around, resembling a large container with a flat bottom. Though it could hold grain, more often these were kept near wells to water the sheep.

WHY STONE?

What was unique about stone as opposed to wood or pottery? According to Jewish law, stone vessels do not convey ritual impurity. For this reason, stone water pots were used at the wedding at Cana, and ritual washing cups made of stone have been found throughout Israel. Perhaps for this reason, it is said that even the Ark of the Covenant was kept on an escarpment of bedrock on the Temple Mount, within the Holy of Holies. While a stone manger may seem humble to us, the shepherds and family would have likely recognized the significance. A crib of gold could not have been greater than the purity of this bed of stone.

A BED OF STONE

But there is a second significance. This manger of stone foreshadowed the Messiah’s death. Mary, who swaddled and laid Yeshua within a stone bed, later witnessed His crucifixion, and looked on as He was wrapped in linen and laid in a rock-hewn tomb!

EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT

No ordinary shepherds examined Mary’s Lamb. His humble form nestled within the manger attested to His spotless birth.

The angels’ cry is your call to “come and see.” Though you can visit the caves of His birth and death, He is no longer there. He is the risen Savior, Messiah, and Lord. This One who cannot be defiled has taken away the sin of all who trust in Him. May you know that transforming message of Messiah’s birth today!

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“This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him.” (Numbers 19:2-3 NKJV)

For some time, the Temple Institute in Jerusalem has worked to restore the vessels and vestments of worship for a coming Third Temple. There, gold thread and dyed wool have been woven into priestly garments, the menorah is ready to be lit, and an engraved High Priest crown awaits. However, the most significant deterrent to building a future Temple may surprise you. Rather than quarried stones, woodworkers, or even political will, it is the missing red heifer. How rare is this animal? According to the Mishnah composed in the second century, only nine were sacrificed from when Moses received the command until the Temple was destroyed! (Mishnah Parah, 3.5).[1] Maimonides, the great Jewish theologian, said, “And the tenth will be brought by the king Messiah; may he speedily be revealed. Amen, so may it be G‑d’s will.” (Mishnah Torah, Red Heifer 3.4).[2][3]

All that changed this week when five certified red heifers were brought to Israel via evangelical ranch herders from Texas.[4] Here are five reasons why this is significant, perhaps more than many realize.

1. The ashes of a red heifer are necessary to cleanse from Biblical impurity.

According to the books of Numbers and Hebrews, the ashes of a red heifer mixed with water are necessary to cleanse the physical body from ritual impurity, tumah, especially when caused by exposure to a corpse or even the personal belongings of someone who dies. (Numbers 19:11-15) Since the days of the Second Temple, this sprinkling has not been done, and therefore no person or priest today is qualified to serve. Even if political fights were resolved over building the Sanctuary, a future Temple would only be a museum without those ashes.

2. There has not been a certified red heifer in the last two-thousand years!

For decades, breeding programs have worked to produce this kosher red cow. Unfortunately, each time one was mature enough to be declared acceptable, some defect or aberrant hair color disqualified it. Now there are five!! Has a prophetic timetable opened the door for rebuilding the Temple?

3. The timing at the end of a Shemitah or Sabbatical year in a seven-year cycle may be significant.

At sundown on September 25^th, a Jewish New Year, 5783, will begin the cycle anew. I won’t delve too deeply into this, but I believe this may be the most significant seven years since the first century. The appearance of true red heifers, if indeed they are certified, should give us all pause to ask where we are on the prophetic timetable.

4. The red heifer is essential to rebuilding the Temple.

In the States, I am often asked, “How close are we to its construction?” If the seemingly impossible political problems were resolved, a functioning sanctuary could be erected quickly–perhaps in days or weeks! Israel functioned with only a Tabernacle for forty years in the wilderness and almost four hundred years at Shiloh (Judges 18:1). The vestments, silver trumpets, shovels, and even the altar are ready.   The menorah itself is fashioned from 100 pounds of gold! But what about the Ark? The Ark disappeared with the closing days of the First Temple. It was not used in either Zerubbabel’s or Herod’s Temple. Even if its location became known, it is not necessary in order for the ritual service to begin. But now we come to the most crucial point you need to know about the red heifer.

5. The need for a Red Heifer is still valid, but an even greater sacrifice is needed.

I told you what the red heifer could do to cleanse ritual impurity, but there is something that these five, or even fifty red heifers, cannot do. They cannot cleanse a conscience stained by sin. Only the blood of the Messiah can do that!

“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13-14 NKJV).

Examining the Sacrifice

Twice, the writer of Hebrews compared the sacrifice of Yeshua (Jesus) on the Cross to the sacrificial red heifer. If the sprinkled ashes of the spotless heifer can cleanse the body, how much more the blood of the sinless Messiah offered to God cleanse a conscience from dead works.   Over the following days and weeks, leading Rabbinic authorities will examine the five heifers for any defect or discolored hair. I pray they will examine Yeshua, the spotless lamb of God, who takes away the world’s sins even more closely!   Examine His claims, sinless life, prophetic fulfilments, death, and especially His resurrection.

Going Unto Him, Bearing His Shame

“Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.” (Numbers 19:9 NKJV)

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that just as it was necessary to go to the heifer sacrificed outside the camp for cleansing, we must go to the Messiah. He implores us to go unto Yeshua, who suffered just beyond Jerusalem gates, was killed, and rose again. He is our ultimate source of cleansing and hope.

“For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. “(Hebrews 13:11-13 NKJV)

These five heifers, the first in two-thousand years, may well be pointing us to the unblemished Son of Man, who was killed outside Jerusalem two thousand years ago and raised to life again. May He come again speedily, and in our days.

[1] “Mishnah Parah 3:5,” Sefaria, accessed September 21, 2022, https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Parah.3.5?lang=en.

[2] “Mishneh Torah, Red Heifer 3:4,” Sefaria, accessed September 21, 2022, https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Red_Heifer.3.4?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en.

[3] Randall Price, The Coming Last Days’ Temple (Eugene, Or.: Harvest House, 1999), 361-378.

[4] “From Texas to Israel: Red Heifers Needed for Temple Arrive,” The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com, accessed September 21, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-717650.

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“A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.” Jeremiah 31:15 NKJV

This is the time of year when many are thinking about the joy of Messiah’s birth, yet also the sorrow of loved ones no longer here. Perhaps that is why Rachel’s tears move me so regarding Yeshua’s flight to Egypt, and the slaughter of the innocents.  Matthew transports the weeping mother of Israel from the book of Jeremiah to intercede once again. The Hebrew, however, contains a textual mystery often fixed by translators. When taken literally, however, it provides tremendous insight over those for whom Rachel wept.  Rachel, who died long before the exile, is depicted as rising with streaming tears, on behalf of her children being taken to Babylon. Her tears move the Lord to respond.

“Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.”  Jeremiah 31:16 NKJV

Despite His assurances of their return, Rachel refused to be comforted.  If you have you ever felt like this, you are in good company. The effectual fervent prayer of this mother shook the heavens.  No wonder Rachel is considered the quintessential mother of Israel in Jewish literature.  Also, I do not take this account as poetic language. I believe she literally wept in heaven and that her exchange with the Holy One of Israel took place.  Perhaps, this is the reason the book of Revelation describes God wiping all tears from our eyes as a future event, when death and pain no longer wound God’s people. Perhaps the Lord Himself will not only wipe our eyes, but also tears from His own eyes on that day.  (Isaiah 25:8, Rev. 21:4) For now, they are essential.

Weeping for the King Who is No More

I want to show you a nugget from Rachel’s tears, a textual anomaly which translators clean up, but translated literally presents a mystery. The Hebrew Masoretic text does not say Rachel refused to be comforted for her children, because “THEY” are no more.” The Hebrew word, איננו, means “He” is no more.  Grammatically, the plural “children” should match the plural “they” are no more, but the Hebrew says – “He” is no more.  Why not translate it that way?   Well, for one thing, the Greek New Testament and some other texts such as the Greek Septuigent do match the plural children to the plural they.  But the Hebrew text cannot be ignored.  Such a glaring anomaly was not left untouched by Jewish exegetes.  According to some, Rachel wept for two groups, her children being removed, and for the singular “One” who was no more. Who is the “One” for whom she also wept and refused to be comforted?

An old story is told of the 4^th Century Rabbi Yossi as he strode along a cobblestone road with Rabbi Hiyya.  Yossi turned to Hiyya and said, “Let’s speak of the ancient days.” Rabbi Yossi had been thinking about Rachel’s tears and the incongruence of the plural and singular in the text.  He explained to Rabbi Hiyya that Rachel wept not only for the children lost to exile, but also the singular “He” who was no more.   And that is when he revealed to his friend who the “He” was!

“Because איננו (einennu), He is no more, because the Holy King had ascended far above and was absent, as is written: because einennu, He is no more…”[1]  Rabbi Yossi

Rabbi Yossi believed the singular “He” of the text was the “Holy King”, the Shechinah or Spirit of God, who had left from the Temple when her “children” were led captive.

Weeping for the Messiah who is no More

John Gill, the great Baptist Theologian, also puzzled over this plural “children” and singular “He” for whom Rachel wept in the Hebrew text of Jeremiah.

“(Rachel) is represented as rising out of her grave to act this part…since she was so affectionately fond and desirous of children, (Genesis 30:1 ) ; refused to be comforted for her children; by any of her friends, the loss was so great, the affliction so heavy: because they [were] not; or, “because he was not” (איננו); the Messiah was not, but was slain among the rest of the children, as the Jewish mothers, whom Rachel represented, imagined; and this heightened their distress, and filled them with more grief and trouble than the loss of their own children: but as Matthew has the plural number, the Targum, and all the Oriental versions, it is best to understand it of the children who “were not”[2]  Commentary on Jer. 31:15, John Gill

In Jeremiah, Rachel wept for her children and the “One” who was not. Matthew’s Gospel presents Rachel again weeping over her children.  Since we only have Matthew in Greek we cannot know for sure, but I wonder if Matthew also saw in the Hebrew text, Rachel weeping for both the children lost in Bethlehem and the Messiah lost to Egyptian exile.

Conclusion

I believe there is a word in this for us today. Are we simply weeping for ourselves, or are we also broken for the presence of God? Of course, Rachel wept for them (the children), but the Hebrew says she also wept for Him singular, and perhaps that was her finest moment of intercession.  If Rabbi Yossi is correct to identify the “He” as the Holy King, then Rachel was equally broken over God’s separation from His people. That breaks my heart as well. In this season of Christmas, may our heart break for those separate from God. I also mourn that our Messiah is not physically present. When He comes, He will wipe all tears from our eyes, until then, we weep.

Who will arise like Rachel to intercede both for the children of Israel and the return of the King? Matthew plucks this passage from Jeremiah in the context of the slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem by the wicked king Herod, and the exile of the Messiah,

“Rachel refusing to be comforted over her children, for He is no more.”

I wonder if he saw the double inference of the children (plural) in Bethlehem and the Messiah (singular) fleeing to Egypt.

In this season of joy, there will likely be some tears. May you be encouraged, there is One who is makes intercession for you, Yeshua Himself. He sits at the right hand of the Father, speaking to Him on your behalf.  May this season of Messiah’s birth truly be for you comfort and joy! (Jer. 31:13)

[1] Sefaria.org.il. (n.d.). Shechinah in exile (with appreciation to Melila Hellner-Eshed). Sefaria. Retrieved December 17, 2021, from https://www.sefaria.org.il/sheets/223220.2?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

[2] Gill, J. (n.d.). Jeremiah 31:15 – meaning and commentary on Bible verse. biblestudytools.com. Retrieved December 17, 2021, from https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/jeremiah-31-15.html

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