Temple 201-The Daily Tamid Service-Conclusion

We are going to pick up in Tamid 7.3 of the Mishnah.

When the High Priest was minded to burn the offering, he used to ascend the ramp having the Prefect (the Sagan, who was the deputy High Priest) at his right hand. When he had reached half way, the Prefect took him by the right hand and led him up (usually the High Priest was elderly). The first priest stretched out to him the head and the hind-leg, and he laid hands on them (semicha) and threw them into the Altar fire. The second priest then gave the first one the two fore-legs and he gave them to the High Priest who laid his hands upon them and threw them. The second priest then slipped away and departed. In like manner they held out to him the rest of the members (of the offering) and he laid hands on them (semicha) and threw them (onto the Altar fire). When he was so minded he only laid hands on them while others threw them (onto the fire). Then he walked around the Altar. Where did he begins? From the corner at the southeast (that is the direction Yeshua will come in his second coming as he approaches Jerusalem. From the ramp, they walked counter-clockwise), and so to the northeast and to the northwest and to the southwest. They gave him the wine for the drink offering, and the Prefect (Sagan) stood by each horn with a towel (two flags) in his hand, and two priests stood at the table of the fat pieces (one table was silver and the other marble on the west side of the Altar) with two silver trumpets in their hands. They blew a prolonged (a “tekiah”), a quavering (a “teruah”) and a prolonged (a Tekiah). Then they came and stood by Ben Arza (one with cymbals-Shekalim 5.1. This was a title for the one over the Levitical choir and instrumentalists on the Duchan, in honor of Ben Arza. No matter what name this person had, he was always called Ben Arza), the one on his right and the other on his left. When he stooped to pour out the drink offering the Prefect (Sagan) waved the towel (flags) and Ben Arza clashed the cymbal (in the old catholic Mass in Latin, altar boys would ring bells during certain parts of the Mass to draw attention to something very important, it is the same concept here) and the Levites broke forth singing (remember the choir director was behind the coir, not in front like we with choirs today. They had rehearsed these songs so much they knew exactly what to do). When they had reached a break in the singing they blew upon the trumpets and they prostrated (a “selah”) themselves; at every break there was a blowing of the trumpet and at every blowing of the trumpet a prostration. This was the rite of the Daily Whole Offering (Tamid) in the service (Avodah) of the House of our God. May it be his will that it shall be built up again, speedily, in our days. Amen.

This was the singing which the Levites used to sing in the Temple. On the first day (Sunday) they sang “The earth is the Lord’s and all that therein is, the round world and they that dwell therein” (Psa 24); on the second day (Monday) they sang “Great is the Lord and highly to be praised in the city of our God, even upon his holy hill” (Psa 48); on the third day (Tuesday) they sang “God stands in the congregation of God, he is a judge among the gods” (Psa 82); on the fourth day (Wednesday) they sang “O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth show thyself” (Psa 94); on the fifth day (Thursday) they sang “Sing we merrily unto God our strength, make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob” (Psa 81); on the sixth day (Friday) they sang “The Lord is King, and hath put on glorious apparel” (Psa 93). On the Sabbath (Saturday) they sang “A Psalm: a Song for the Sabbath Day”; a Psalm, a song for the time that is to come, for the day that shall be all Sabbath and rest in the life everlasting (The Atid Lavo and the Day of the Lord. These psalms are a picture of the 7000 years and very eschatological. These pictures are just the Tamid service. Imagine what the other services and ceremonies can teach us. This does not include the other korbanot the people were bringing. This was the worship that God ordained and it has not been done away with. The first century believers participated in these things and they will be done again during the Messianic Kingdom.

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

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