CANDLEGLOW LESSON
“The Lesson of Heaven’s KOHEN HAGADOL”
Parashah ACHAREI MOT (Leviticus 16:1-18:30) Week 29
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As I meditated over Parashah Acharei Mot meaning ‘After the death’, I asked for wisdom to distill the deep instructions for Aaron, appointed as High Priest or ‘Kohen Gadol’. He was to atone for the sins of Israel on the first National Day of Atonement or ‘Yom Kippur’ in the history of Israel. He was to execute every detail of the instructions from Adonai in order to enter into The Holy of Holies or ‘Kiddosh Kodeshim’, fully prepared to bring what was required to Adonai as an atonement for his personal sins and the sins of the Nation.
The mercy of Adonai is evident after the deaths of Nadav and Avihu, to prepare their father, Aharon, in such a way as to protect his life from the crushing holiness of His Shekinah glory. Adonai spoke with Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons, when they brought unauthorized sacrifices before Adonai and became the burnt offering in His presence. ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell your brother Aharon not to come at just any time into the Holy Place beyond the curtain, in front of the ark-cover which is on the ark, so that he will not die; because I appear in the cloud over the ark-cover.” (Leviticus 16:1-2 CJB)
You see, dear seeker, there was a way to approach His Divine Presence which would bring life, not death.
As I ran and prayed, I saw His cloud of compassion. The Divine Presence of the Father hovered over the mercy seat, atop the Ark of the Covenant. His holy presence, so awesome and crushing in its power, now humbled into a small cloud of presence, hovering in a tiny space carved out for The Great I Am to dwell, in the very midst of the unholy and unclean, in a broken earthly desert. The one true God left heaven’s throne to dwell on the earth with His chosen people; revealing Himself, making Covenant with them, having left His Most Holy Place for a makeshift, man-made, imperfect copy of His glorious throne in heaven. A way was made for Aharon, appointed by Adonai to be the first High Priest ministering to His glory, to approach and be in the presence of the Most-High, without being burned alive by His Presence. There must be a plan, a template, a blueprint, for the coming Great High Priest or ‘KOHEN HAGADOL’ whose name is above all names; Jesus the Messiah, Yeshua Ha Mashiach.
“He is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the ark-cover toward the east; and in front of the ark-cover he is to sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.” (Leviticus 16:14 CJB) The High Priest was to bring the proof-of-life, the blood, into the presence of Adonai. By bringing the blood, it was also proof-of-death, the life for life principle of atonement as set forth on the blueprint, in the Council Room of Heaven, before the foundation of the world. In the atonement for the sins of Israel during the first Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, Adonai demanded the blood be splashed upon the Ark and the Mercy Seat, exactly where His Shekinah Presence hovered!
Adonai took upon His Glory, death. Adonai took upon His Holiness, profanity. Adonai took upon His Immortality, mortality.
I wept bitter tears as I saw how my own sins added to the abomination which took place first, in the Holy of Holies, in the howling desert wilderness of Sinai. I not only saw death enter the Holy of Holies by way of the sin sacrifice, but I saw the flawed humanity of the priesthood, dressed in finest linen, serving the Lord earnestly, but as sinful human beings who, like Nadav and Avihu, on their best day… missed the mark!
In my vision, I saw Adonai for the first time as King David saw Him, as Savior. See the Tabernacle as the picture of heaven; see the elements in it as the picture of our sanctification, and see the veil as the Holy Boundary separating sinful man from the face of a Holy God. The love of Yahweh pierced my heart.
We, His image bearers, who are incapable of bearing His image, were graced with all the Creator had to give; all of Himself. Every facet of His majesty was sacrificed to bring us back home into the Garden and into His Presence. Oh, the love of the Father!
This is the Lesson of Heaven’s KOHEN HAGODAL: “God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.” (II Corinthians 5:21 CJB)
This is the Lesson of Heaven’s KOHEN HAGODAL: “This is why he had to become like his brothers in every respect – so that he might become a merciful and faithful cohen gadol in the service of God, making a kapparah for the sins of the people. For since he himself suffered death when he was put to the test, he is able to help those who are being tested now.” (Hebrews 2:17 CJB)
This is the Lesson of Heaven’s KOHEN HAGODAL: The garden of Torah is steeped in imagery. During this Pesach, or Passover week, see Adonai as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fused together in perfect unity or ‘Yachad’!
See the Holy Trinity in the ancient Council Room of heaven, in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, on the Cross of Christ at Calvary, and in the descending flames at Pentecost!
The fusion of the three brilliant facets of The Great I Am is our inheritance, as Children of the Kingdom of Light.
This mysterious fusion is our salvation and our mantle of righteousness. The abiding presence of the Holy Spirit is the seal and sign of our redemption. In the spiritual realm, clothed in finest white linen, we wear the headgear of heaven which reads; Set Apart for Adonai!
We have been eternally set apart for the Father, by His son! Father, Son and Spirit are ONE!
This mystery is unveiled every time we open God’s word, especially in these Torah Portions which reveal the shadow of the perfect plan, which would be fulfilled on that Passover day of sacrifice, as Messiah Jesus, God’s little lamb, gave his life as the once and for all Passover Lamb for mankind. This Parashah is the perfect Passover partner for our reflections! Atonement can only come through the Life for Life transfer!
The life of the Son of God… for our lives… as full and eternal atonement for sin.
May this Sabbath bring all that is new and waiting for our full understanding of the timeless truth about Passover, about God’s little Lamb, and about Jesus the Messiah as KOHEN GADOL!
It is HE who John saw, as a Lamb that was slain, at the throne of the Father in heaven!
SEE with new EYES of the HEART the fullness of the Easter Story now, perhaps for the first time!
SHEMA Isra’el…ADONAI Elohenu, ADONAI echad!
Hear and obey, oh Israel! Our Lord and our God, are ONE.
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In Revelation 4:6-7, John describes how he saw Jesus as a Lamb, standing between God’s throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst of the twenty-four elders. The Lamb that appeared to have been slain had seven horns and seven eyes. The Horns are a scriptural metaphor for power, and the verse explains that the seven eyes are the seven spirits sent out into all the earth.
The word slain is from the Greek root word sphazō, which may also be translated as slaughtered or butchered. It describes the violent death Jesus endured on the cross to take away the sins of the world. In Old Testament times, lambs served as sacrifices for sin, but these only foreshadowed Jesus, God’s little Lamb, who shed His blood as the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:11–12).
When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching, he told the assembled crowd:
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
The Lamb’s seven horns represent his perfect power and the seven eyes represent the Holy’s Spirit’s perfect vision of all that transpires on earth.
May our eyes be opened in a new way, this Passover! May we see, with uncircumcised hearts, the heart of the matter!
Jesus fulfilled every ancient, prophetic sacrificial detail, as the Lamb of God, blessed be He!
Perfect Passover! Perfect Savior! Perfect Lamb of God!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Baruch attah b’shem ADONAI!
Shabbat Shalom!
Sydney