Torah and New Testament Foundations-Understanding the Redemption-Part 33

There is something that does not make sense in John 1.29 where it says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” So, we are going to look at that verse, but first we need some back-round. We know that Yeshua’s ministry was three and a half years long, so going back three and a half years to the beginning of his ministry brings us to the fall festivals of Rosh Ha Shannah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. In addition, the time of repentance called “Teshuvah” began on Elul 1 and goes to Yom Kippur, Tishri 10, for a total of forty days. It is interesting that you are required as a Jewish male to be in Jerusalem at Hag Ha Matzah, Nisan 15-21st. You are not required to be there on Passover, Nisan 14, when they killed the Passover Lamb. You are not required to be there during Chol Ha Moed, Nisan 16-20th. Most people were there, but it is not a requirement. You were required to be there for Shavuot and for Sukkot. Hag Ha Matzah (Nisan 15-21), Shavuot and Sukkot (Tishri 15-22) are called the “Shelosh Regalim.” This commandment can be found in Exo 23.14-17. You are not required to be in Jerusalem on Rosh Ha Shannah or Yom Kippur.

Yeshua may have been immersed by Yochanon Ha Matvil (John the Immerser) on Elul 1, the time of repentance (Matt 3.11) and he was driven into the wilderness immediately for forty days. This was the time of Teshuvah (Elul 1 to Tishri 10). He came out of the wilderness on Yom Kippur (he didn’t have to be in Jerusalem on Rosh Ha Shannah and Yom Kippur, and he was in the wilderness), and that is the context of John 1.29.

In the back of Vol I of the Artscroll book on “Vayikra” (Leviticus) we have an outline of the offerings called “Summary of the Laws of Korbanot” on p. 257-338. In Isa 53.10 it says “When you shall make his soul an “asham” (guilt offering) for sin” (KJV). There is a problem with the statement by Yochanon in John 1.29 when he says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” There are some who say that there is no sacrifice in the Temple for intentional sin, but that is not entirely correct. Here are some examples: Lev 5.1-6, 20-26, 6.1-7. The sin offering for the oath of testimony comes for a willful violation. On Yom Kippur, all sins that were intentional or unintentional are dealt with. When we sin, it is either intentional or unintentional. There is no Korban Asham (guilt offering) that would atone for every sin in the world. However, there is a ceremony at Yom Kippur that we want to touch on.

There are two goats on Yom Kippur. One is called “L’YHVH” and the other is called “L’Azazel.” Azazel is a term for a demon, and it is a type of the false messiah This goat is killed, bearing the sin of the people. That is the only possible ceremony that Yochanon could be referring to in John 1.29. But then that verse should read, “Behold the “goat” of God that takes away the sin of the world. Lambs are not used in this ceremony. We have already shown that it was highly probable that Yeshua returned from the wilderness around Yom Kippur. Other korbanot reconciled the sinner on a day to day basis with God, but on Yom Kippur God would forgive all sin, of all the people. So, was Yochanon wrong?

There is a book called the “Christology of the New Testament” by Oscar Cullman. There is a chapter called “Jesus the Suffering Servant” on the Messiah Ben Joseph. On pages 69-71 he explains this concept. He says the Aramaic phrase “Tal’yah Dalahah” means both “Lamb of God” and “Servant of God.” This can also be found in the book called “The Aramaic Origins of the Fourth Gospel” by C. F. Burney. So, you have an Aramaic phrase meaning “Lamb of God” and “Servant of God.”

In the early 1900’s there was a big push saying that they did not speak Hebrew but Aramaic in the first century. Now we know they did speak Hebrew, but there were a lot of Aramaic “loan words” and “phrases” that were used, and this goes all the way back to the Book of Daniel, where in Dam 7.13 we have the Aramaic term “Bar Enosh” used for Son of Man. We have this expression, which lies behind the Greek expression “Amnos of God” (Lamb of God). Quoting from Cullman’s book, “Since the expression ‘Lamb of God’ is not commonly used in the Tanak as a designation for the Passover Lamb, it is probable the author John thought primarily of the ‘Servant of God.’ The translation ‘Amnos’ is all the more easily explained when one considers that the idea of the ‘Servant of God’ is related to that of the Passover Lamb.” We know that in Isa 53.7 it compares the Servant of God with a lamb. In other words, the passage only makes sense when we translate it as “Servant of God.” The people would have understood that aspect, but not the idea of a “lamb” that took away the sins of the world. There was nothing set up by the Lord in the Temple system for such a concept.

So, let’s continue on from Isa 53 and start looking into the Servant passages and the commission of the Voice, starting in Isa 54.1-3. These verses talk about the redemption when Messiah comes, and all the people are coming back to the land. There are so many that they have to “enlarge the place of your tent” to accommodate the multitudes. The chapter goes on in Isa 54.4-17 to talk about the redemption and it says “My covenant of peace will not be shaken” in v 10. This part of the “Dry Bones” prophecy of Ezek 37.26. These passages are talking about Jerusalem and is similar to Rev 21.10-27.

This whole chapter speaks of the redemption when Messiah comes. Isa 54.10 says, “My covenant of peace will not be shaken” alludes to several other passages. In Num 25.11-13 it also says “My covenant of peace” and we find something very interesting in the word “peace.” It is the word “shalom”{ in Hebrew and the word consists of s “Shin, Lamed, Vav and Mem.” The word here has a “broken vav” meaning that this peace is incomplete and peace will not be whole until the Messiah brings the redemption and “tikun” (repair) has taken place (Zech 14.9). Ezek 37.26 says this covenant of peace is part of the “Dry Bones” prophecy, alluded to in Num 25.11-13.

In Part 34, we will pick up in Isa 55 in our discussion of the Servant Passages and the commission of the “Voice” of Isa 40.3. As we have said before, From Isa 40.6 to Isa 66.24 we have what Yochanon (Elijah and messenger of the covenant) was commissioned to say. This will also be the commission of the Two Witnesses and the 144,000.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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