Messiah in Rosh HaShanah & Yom Teruah Chapter 27
- Manifestation of Adonai’s Glory
- Cleansing of the Temple
- The Final Sacrifice for Sin
- Our High Priest who brings us Peace
- The sheep, oxen and doves reveal three priestly objectives
- The shed blood of the Korban Pesach provides atonement for our souls
- Atonement of the soul
- The Corruption of the first century Religious Establishment
- Messiah witnessed deceit and Idolatry being practiced in the Temple
- The Zeal of the Righteous One
- Messiah is our resurrected High Priest
- The resurrected Rod of Levi
Manifestation of Adonai’s Glory:
Turning the water into wine was the first miracle (sign) the Messiah performed.
In the Beloved Disciple’s account of the Proceedings of the Heavenly Court testimony he uses the word Sign rather than miracles because the Heavenly Court wants to point out the Divine significance of the acts. The Spokesperson for the shlichim (sent ones) explains that the miracles were a manifestation of Yeshua’s glory. “Glory” (תִּפְאָרָה) is a term that refers to the recognition belonging to a person: His appearance, rank, honor, and renown. The term glory makes you think about and recognize a person for who he is. In this case, Messiah’s glory makes His disciples and those who hear His teaching believe He is the Spirit of the Holy One come to earth in human form (the visible manifestation of the invisible Presence of the Spirit of the Holy One).
Person #1. The Messiah Yeshua;
Person #2. Miryam (the mother of Yeshua);
Person #3. Andrew Ben Yochanan, (1st Cousin of Yeshua)
Person #4. Yochanan Ben Zebedee (1st Cousin of Yeshua);
Person #5. Shim’on Ben Yochanan, (1st Cousin of Yeshua);
Person #6. Philip (exact relation unknown);
Person #7. Netan’el (exact relation unknown);
Person #8. Yaacov Ben Yosef (1st brother of Yeshua);
Person #9. Yosef Ben Yosef (2nd brother of Yeshua);
Person #10. Shim’on Ben Yosef (3rd brother of Yeshua); and
Person #11. Yehudah Ben Yosef (4th brother of Yeshua).
Cleansing of the Temple:
The Spokesperson for the sent ones continues in this beginning of his second session of testimony by reporting on the Messiah’s first cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem (for the spiritual meaning of the term “second” cf. the “”Messiah in Purim”). According to the historian Josephus work on this Temple (Herod’s Temple) began in the eighteenth year of the reign of Herod the Great (19 BCE). The testimony of the Endowment of the Grace of Adonai (Yochanan Ben Zebedee) places this event forty- six years later. This would mean the event occurred just before the Passover of 27 CE.
וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי חַג־הַפֶּסַח אֲשֶׁר לַיְּהוּדִים וַיַּעַל יֵשׁוּעַ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם׃ וַיִּמְצָא בַמִּקְדָּשׁ מֹכְרֵי בָקָר וָצֹאן וּבְנֵי יוֹנָה וּפֹרְטֵי הַכֶּסֶף ישְׁבִים שָׁם׃ וַיִּקַּח חֲבָלִים וַיְעַבְּתֵם לְשׁוֹט וַיְגָרֶשׁ כֻּלָּם מִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְאֵת הַצֹּאן וְאֵת הַבָּקָר וַיְפַזֵּר אֶת־מְעוֹת הַשֻּׂלְחָנִים וַיַּהֲפֹך שֻׁלְחֲנֹתֵיהֶם׃ וְאֶל־מֹכְרֵי הַיּוֹנִים אָמָר הוֹצִיאוּ אֵלֶּה מִזֶּה וְאַל־תֲַּעֲשׂוֹּ אֶת־בֵּית אָבִי לְבֵית מִסְחָר׃ וַיִּזְכְּרוּ תַלְמִידָיו אֶת־הַכָּתוּב כִּי־קִנְאַת בֵּיתְךָ אֲכָלָתְנִי׃ וַיַּעֲנוּ הַיְּהוּדִים וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו אֵי־זוֹ אוֹת תַּרְאֵנוּ שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה כָזֹאת׃ וַיַּעַן יֵשׁוּעַ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם הִרְסוּ אֶת־הַהֵיכָל הַזֶּה וּבִשְׁלשָׁה יָמִים אֲקִימֶנּוּ׃ וַיּאֹמְרוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הִנֵּה אַרְבָּעִים וָשֵׁשׁ שָׁנָה נִבְנָה הַהֵיכָל הַזֶּה וְאַתָּה בִּשְׁלשָׁה יָמִים תְּקִימֶנּוּ׃ וְהוּא דִּבֶּר עַל־הֵיכַל גְּוִיָּתוֹ׃ וְאַחֲרֵי קוּמוֹ מִן־הַמֵּתִים זָכְרוּ תַלְמִידָיו כִּי־זֹאת אָמַר לָהֶם וַיַּאֲמִינוּ בַכָּתוּב וּבַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יֵשׁוּעַ׃))
The days of the Festival of Pesach of the Yehudim drew near, and Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim. in the Temple He found merchants of cattle (oxen), flocks (of sheep) and young doves and those who give change for money (money changers) sitting there (at their tables). He took cords, twisted them into a whip and drove them all out of the Temple, along with the (flocks of) sheep and the cattle (oxen). He scattered (poured out) the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To the dove merchants He said, “Take these things out of here, and do not make My Father’s house a place of business” (lit. marketplace). His disciples remembered the passage:
“For the zeal of Your House has consumed Me.”
The Yehudim answered and said to Him, “Which sign will You show us, since you are doing something like this?” (Meaning what is your authority for doing these things?”) The Salvation of Adonai (Yeshua) answered and said to them, “Tear down this Sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up!” The Yehudim said, “This Sanctuary was built in forty-six years, and You would raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the sanctuary of His body. After He rose from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this to them; and they believed the passage and the word that Yeshua had spoken.”
When Messiah drove out the sacrificial animals from the Temple what was He saying in this prophetic action?
By driving the animals out of the Temple courtyard of the Gentiles the Messiah was clearly declaring that He was the once-in-eternity heavenly sacrifice that would fulfill all of the sacrificial requirements of the Torah and, thereby, He was the One who would provide a permanent atonement for sin for His people Israel (and all the believing Gentile peoples of the world) so that they might be eternally reconciled to the heavenly Father.
The Final Sacrifice for Sin:
The first cleansing of the Temple occurred early in the ministry of the Messiah. A “second” cleansing of the Temple occurred again at the end of His ministry, in 30 CE. (cf. significance of the term “second” administration in our article, “Messiah in Purim”). The Messiah due to His atoning death and life-giving resurrection is both Adonai’s final sacrifice for sin and He is our permanent High Priest forever. This historic event marks the end of Israel’s old religious administration (plagued by priestly graft and corruption) and the beginning of a new administration, the Administration of the Holy Spirit (cf. “Messiah in Purim”). Therefore, Messiah is our:
Offering #1. Burnt offering (עֹלָה);
Offering #2. Drink offering (נֶסֶךְ);
Offering #3. Grain offering (מִנְחָה);
Offering #4. Peace offering (שֶׁלֶם); and
Offering #5. Sin offering (חַטָּאָת).
Our High Priest who brings us Peace:
וַיִּקַּח חֲבָלִים וַיְעַבְּתֵם לְשׁוֹט וַיְגָרֶשׁ כֻּלָּם מִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְאֵת הַצֹּאן וְאֵת הַבָּקָר וַיְפַזֵּר אֶת־מְעוֹת הַשֻּׂלְחָנִים וַיַּהֲפֹך שֻׁלְחֲנֹתֵיהֶם׃ וְאֶל־מֹכְרֵי הַיּוֹנִים אָמָר הוֹצִיאוּ אֵלֶּה מִזֶּה וְאַל־תֲַּעֲשׂוֹּ אֶת־בֵּית אָבִי לְבֵית מִסְחָר׃
And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!”
The whip Messiah used to drive the businessmen out of the Court of the Gentiles was made out of the “cords” that bound the animals to the Temple court. The cords had a dual purpose. They were also used to tie the sacrificial animals to the horns of the sacrificial altar when they were sacrificed. The cords were loosed from the sacred animals only after they had been destroyed at the altar. Just as Messiah is the true High Priest, He is also the true Sacrifice of our Father in heaven. He is Seh Ha-Elohim, the Lamb of Elohim (our Korban Pesach):
Testimony of the Messiah #1. He is the Sinless One who provides Atonement for sin. He is our Burnt offering.
Testimony of the Messiah #2. He is the Selfless One who poured out His life (blood) as a ransom for many. He is our Drink offering.
Testimony of the Messiah #3. He is the wholly Devoted One who supplies perfect dedication to Adonai. He is our Grain offering.
Testimony of the Messiah #4. He is the Peaceful One who secures fellowship (reconciliation) with Adonai. He is our Peace offering.
Testimony of the Messiah #5. He is the Gentle One who turns the wrath of Adonai away from others and onto Himself. He is our Sin offering.
The Sheep, Oxen, and Doves reveal three priestly objectives:
The coins referred to in the account were small silver coins that were used to pay the *half-shekel temple tax (that represent the redemption of our souls paid for by Messiah on our behalf). The money changers were converting secular money into temple coinage because there were idolatrous “pagan images” displayed on nearly all of the secular coinage. Every male over the age of twenty was required annually to pay this redemption of the soul temple tax.
*The Rabbis refer to this obligatory tax as the “atonement for the soul.” This is derived from Moses’ instructions in Exodus 30:15: “The rich shall not pay more, and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the Adonai to make atonement for yourselves.”
There are three objectives that are achieved by the once-in-eternity sacrifice of the Messiah on behalf of the people of Israel (and the Commonwealth of Israel; i.e. the believing Gentiles):
Objective #1. Remove (expiate) all sin from believing humanity.
Objective #2. Instill in His followers complete dedication to the will of the heavenly Father.
Objective #3. Secure a permanent fellowship (Shalom, Peace) between Abba Father and Redeemed Man.
The shed blood of the Korban Pesach provides atonement for our souls:
All of these activities of the Korban Pesach (Sacrificed Lamb) at the Temple testify to Messiah’s death on the accursed tree (configured in the Hebrew Sign of the Tav ).
Meaning #1. The tables of the money changers were made out of wood, wood symbolizes Messiah’s humanity.
Meaning #2. The overturned tables refer to Rabbi Yeshua’s substitutionary atonement.
Meaning #3. The Messiah’s heart (Spirit) was overturned and atonement was made when He took sinful Man’s guilt upon Himself and was punished for humanity’s sin and rebellion (unlawful acts) against Adonai (Lamentations 1:20):
רְאֵה ה’ כִּֽי־צַר־לִי מֵעַי חֳמַרְמָרוּ נֶהְפַּךְ לִבִּי בְּקִרְבִּי כִּי מָרֹו מָרִיתִי מִחוּץ שִׁכְּלָה־חֶרֶב בַּבַּיִת כַּמָּֽוֶת׃
See, O Adonai, for I am in distress; My Spirit is greatly troubled: My Heart is ‘haphak’ (overturned) within Me!
Atonement of the soul:
The “atonement of the soul” money, the little *silver coins which the Salvation of Adonai (Yeshua) “poured out” refers to the Messiah’s poured out blood:
וְכֵן גַּם־אֶת־הַכּוֹס אַחַר הַסְּעוּדָה לֵאמֹר זוֹ הַכּוֹס הִיא הַבְּרִית הַחֲדָשָׁה בְּדָמִי הַנִּשְׁפָּךְ בַּעַדְכֶם׃
This cup which is poured out for you is the Brit HaChadashah in My blood.
*In the Scriptures silver metal is oftentimes a symbol of redemption, the shedding of blood.
The corruption of the first century Religious Establishment:
אָז נִזְכְּרוּ תַּלְמִידָיו בַּכָּתוּב: קִנְאַת בֵּיתְךָ אֲכָלָתְנִי.פ
His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.”
The corrupt religious-business activities (thefts) that were routinely being practiced at the Temple that the Messiah strongly opposed were:
Theft #1. Usurpation of the Gentiles’ right to worship in their own dedicated area-court (the Court of the Gentiles).
Theft #2. The practice of extortion in the selling of temple sanctioned animals (the ‘mark up’ price was way too high).
Theft #3. The practice of usury in the exchange rates; the business of exchanging secular coins for religious coinage where the interest rates charged for the exchanges were exorbitant.
Messiah witnessed deceit and Idolatry being practiced in the Temple:
The Temple personnel’s pious preoccupation with sacred “things” was a deception. The priests, Levites and Temple businessmen were in truth obsessed only with making money. The heart’s desire of the religious leaders was to obtain as much material wealth and power as they could (not as advertised, to worship Adonai). Their hearts were filled with the graven images (things) of greed, avarice and covetousness (Exodus 20:4&17; Ezekiel 8:10). These immoral practices testify to the internal corruption existing in the “sons of Levi.” In Abba Father’s love for humanity, Messiah was bound with the “cords of our sin” to the altar of our judgment: “His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.” This event was prophesied about in Psalm 69:9:
כִּֽי־קִנְאַת בֵּיתְךָ אֲכָלָתְנִי וְחֶרְפֹּות חֹורְפֶיךָ נָפְלוּ עָלָֽי׃
“For zeal for Your House has consumed Me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on Me.”
The Zeal of the Righteous One:
וַיִּזְכְּרוּ תַלְמִידָיו אֶת־הַכָּתוּב כִּי־קִנְאַת בֵּיתְךָ אֲכָלָתְנִי׃ וַיַּעֲנוּ הַיְּהוּדִים וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו אֵי־זוֹ אוֹת תַּרְאֵנוּ שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה כָזֹאת׃ וַיַּעַן יֵשׁוּעַ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם הִרְסוּ אֶת־הַהֵיכָל הַזֶּה וּבִשְׁלשָׁה יָמִים אֲקִימֶנּוּ׃
“The Jews then said to Him, ‘What sign do you show us as your authority for doing these things?’ Yeshua answered them, ‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.'”
The Righteous One’s zeal for the sanctity of His Father’s House was destined to lead to His death.
The word “destroy” here means to loose something tied or bound. The word picture here is one of Messiah, the Lamb of the Almighty One, being tied (bound by cords) to the horns of the altar and then slain for man’s sin. Only when Messiah was bound by cords to the horns of the altar were the cords of Adonai’s judgment removed from the “neck” of humankind. Therefore it is written (Psalm 118:27):
אֵל ה’ וַיָּאֶר לָנוּ אִסְרוּ־חַג בַּעֲבֹתִים עַד־קַרְנֹות הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
Adonai (the LORD) is God, and He has given us Light; bind the Festival sacrifice with cords to the Horns of the Altar.
Messiah is our resurrected High Priest:
The sign of the resurrection of the Messiah (the High Priest) was foretold in the Torah in the *resurrection of Aaron’s Rod (Numbers 17:1-13). In this narrative a dead almond branch (the tree species of the Temple Golden Lampstand) was resurrected. The resurrected dead almond branch after its resurrection miraculously produced buds, blossoms and almond fruit (from the Revived Branch).
*This was a Sign of the future (permanent) High Priest who would (after three days) demonstrate the Divine power to grant eternal life to all who believe in Him.
A period of three days is indicated in the three reported procreative activities (bud, blossom, the bearing of fruit) that occurred in the Revived Branch that depicts the resurrection power of the High Priest to come (compare Genesis 40:12).
The resurrected Rod of Levi:
וַיּאֹמְרוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הִנֵּה אַרְבָּעִים וָשֵׁשׁ שָׁנָה נִבְנָה הַהֵיכָל הַזֶּה וְאַתָּה בִּשְׁלשָׁה יָמִים תְּקִימֶנּוּ׃)
The Yehudim then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”
According to the historian Josephus, work on this Temple began in the eighteenth year of the reign of Herod the Great (19 BCE). Forty-six years later would be the Passover in 27 CE. Since this Temple cleansing occured at the beginning of Messiah’s public ministry, a date of 30 CE is indicated for His crucifixion. Forty-six is an interesting number. The number forty often represents “testing.” The number six most often represents “man.”