The Akedah-The Binding of the Sacrifice and the Prophetic Implications in Gen 22

Gen 22.1-19 contains what is called the Akedah, or “the binding of the sacrifice.” It is the most important chapter in Jewish thought, and has one of the most glaring pictures of the death and resurrection of the Yeshua the Messiah, and alludes to the catching away of the believer/bride in conjunction with Gen 24.62. Abraham will be a type of the Father and Isaac a type of Yeshua. In Jewish thought, the most important verse is Zech 14.9, the most important passage is Deut 6.4-9, and the most important book is Leviticus. God is going to test or examine Abraham, not because God did not know what Abraham was going to do, but Abraham did not know what he was going to do.

God is going ask Abraham to take his son, his only son (of the promise, his unique son of status) Isaac to the land of Moriah (meaning “Yah is teacher” in the area of Jerusalem, where God would direct david and Solomon to build the Temple) and offer him as a Korban Olah on one of the mountains God was going to show him. This was most likely the future Temple Mount, where Yeshua would bo offered just north of the altar (2 Chr 3.1).

So Abraham rose early and saddled his donkey with Isaac and two young men with him, and went to the place God had told him. On the third day (a very eschatological term) Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place from a distance looking north. He saw the three valleys at Jerusalem that formed the Hebrew letter “Shin” (sh sound), which is symbolic of several titles for Yehovah, Like “Shaddai” and “Shalom.” Abraham said to the young men to stay with the donkey and he and Isaac will go “yonder” and worship, and come back them. Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead (Heb 11.19).

So Abraham took the wood for the offering land laid it upon the shoulders of Isaac, like Yeshua carried his cross. He also took fire and a knife, and they both went on together (Hebrew “yakdav” meaning together in purpose; this shows the Father’s part at the cross). Jewish traditions says Isaac was around thirty-seven years old; Isaac and Yeshua were in their 30’s for sure, and able to resist Abraham if he wanted to, but he knew what his father had asked of him and he willingly submitted.

They came to the place of which God told him, and Abraham built an altar there , and arranged the wood. He then bound Isaac so he wouldn’t flinch. If Isaac did flinch, and Abraham cut his arm or some other place, he would not have been “without blemish.” He then laid him on the top of the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him out of heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham (said twice to prevent him from going any further, and to signify this was going to be repeated in the future. Abraham heard the voice and sais, “Here I am (hinayni).” And he said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad and do nothing to him, for I know (in the sense of having it made known) that your fear God (revere him in awe), since you have not withheld your son, your only son (of promise), from me.”

Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked and behind him, the Hebrew “achar” and can mean “westward.” If this was where the Temple would be built, Abraham’s altar was where the future Temple altar would be, and west of that would be where the future Holy of Holies would be. Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket by his horns, so the ram was wearing thorns on his head , like Yeshua. These two horns were seen in Jewish eschatology as the “first trump” at Shavuot, the betrothal of Israel. The other horn was seen as the “last trump” of Rosh Ha Shannah, the full marriage. Paul will use this term “last trump” in 1 Cor 15.52 when talking about the catching away of the believer on Rosh Ha Shannah. So Abrahm took the ram and offered him for a korban olah in place of his son.

And Abraham called the name of that place “Yehovah Yireh” or “Yehovah will see. Yehovah will see the Temple and the sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah on that mount. In the mount of the Lord it (the redemption will be accomplished in Yeshua) will be seen. The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven saying that the Yehovah has sworn that because Abraham has done this thing and has not withheld Isaac, that he would greatly bless him and will multiply his seed as the stars of heaven, and the sands of the seashore. His descendants would possess the gate of civil government, jurisdiction, and dominion over their enemies. And “in your seed” who is the Messiah and all those “in him” the nations of the earth will be blessed.

So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba and lived there. Now, the average reader concludes that Isaac also came down, but that is not what the verse says. Isaac will not be seen again until Gen 24.4 talking about a bride, and 24.62 when he meets his bride Rebekah. Eschatologically what we have here is a picture of the death, resurrection and the marriage of Messiah. The “son” is sacrificed by the “father” on Mount Moriah. The “father” believes the son will be resurrected according to Heb 11.17-19. The “son “disappears” until he is seen by his bride who is being brought to him, and he is united with her.

This scenario can also be seen in John 1.19 through 2.1. Day one is v 19 where John says he is not the Messiah, day two is v 29 where John declares that Yeshua is the servant/lamb of God; day three is v 35 where John refers two of his talmidim to Yeshua as he walked by, and day four is v 43 where Philip says they have found the Messiah, and Yeshua declares that they will see heaven opened and the angels descending and descending upon the son of man. This is an allusion to Gen 22 and Gen 28 with Jacob’s ladder. Then it says in John 2.1 “on the third day” (four plus three is seven), Iike Abraham in Gen 22.4, there was a wedding in Cana. Yeshua “disappears” for two days and is now seen at a wedding in Cana (like Isaac and his bride) on the seventh day. This would be an allusion to the wedding of the Messiah in heaven after the believers are caught up to heaven in what is called the Natzal, or gathering, on Rosh Ha Shannah, year 6001, the beginning of the seventh day of the seven thousand year plan of God.