The Rod of an Almond Tree in God’s Master Plan Contents of Chapter 11 Messiah Yeshua, Eternal High Priest Messiah Yeshua Anointed High Priest by the Spirit of God 2 The Pattern of the Menorah Revealed in the Crucifixion 4 The Day of Atonement Prophetic Picture Points to Messiah Yeshua 5 The Goat for God and the Goat for Azazel 6 The Day of Atonement Prophetic Fulfillment by Messiah Yeshua 10 Yeshua’s Descent into Sheol Paradise, Not Sheol Torment (Hell) 11 Yeshua’s First Ascension into Heaven on Resurrection Day 13 Yeshua’s Ascension into Heaven Forty Days after His Resurrection 16 References 18 1 The Rod of an Almond Tree in God’s Master Plan (Online Edition) by Peter and Christie Michas Original Title God’s Master Plan: From Aleph to Tav © 1994 The Rod of an Almond Tree in God’s Master Plan © 1997, 2001, 2011–2016 (Online Edition) Messengers of Messiah, 7231 Boulder Avenue #164, Highland, CA 92346 USA Tel. 909-425-8751 – www.messengers-of-messiah.org Revised November 2016 This publication may be freely copied and distributed provided it is copied in total with no alterations or deletions. The authors’ names, ministry name and website address, mailing address and telephone number, and copyright notice must be included. No charge may be levied on recipients of distributed copies. Brief quotations may be embodied in critical articles and reviews without breaching copyright. This publication is available for free from Messengers of Messiah’s website www.messengers-of-messiah.org Chapter 11 Messiah Yeshua, Eternal High Priest And having been perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:9-10). MESSIAH YESHUA ANOINTED HIGH PRIEST BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD The anointing of Messiah Yeshua by the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) was revealed at the time of Yeshua’s immersion into the Jordan River – And after being baptized, Jesus [Yeshua] went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17, bold emphasis added). 2 And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased” (Mark 1:10-11, bold emphasis added). Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus [Yeshua] also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:21-22, bold emphasis added). And John bore witness saying, “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:32-34, bold emphasis added). Note that the Spirit of God is described “as” or “like” a dove, not meaning an actual dove but that the Spirit of God manifested in the form of a dove. According to the prophetic pattern as understood by Peter Michas, this means that the Spirit of God manifested in the form of the Hebrew letter kaf (k), similar to the shape formed by the wings of a hovering dove. According to this understanding, the Hebrew letter Kaf represents the pattern in which the anointing oil was applied to the High Priest, the oil symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Moses anointed his brother, Aaron, as the first High Priest – “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting [Tabernacle], and wash them with water. And you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod; and you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head and anoint him” (Exodus 29:4-7, bold emphasis added). 3 According to The Torah Anthology commentary on Exodus 29:7 (“Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head and anoint him”), the oil was applied in a way to form the Hebrew letter Kaf (described in the shape of the letter U) – This does not mean that oil should be poured over the entire body, from head to foot. Rather, this was the method in which the anointing was done. At first, a little oil would be placed on the priest’s head. Then he would place a little bit between his eyebrows. Then the person doing the anointing would take his finger and connect the oil on the head with the oil above the eyebrows, drawing a semi-circular line, like an inverted U … According to another opinion, the first person anointing would place the oil on the priest’s eyebrows and then on his head, and then he would connected the two together as we have said (bold emphasis added).1 Messiah Yeshua’s anointing by the Holy Spirit signified that God the Father anointed His Son as the High Priest of the New Covenant, the Eternal High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek. So also Christ [Messiah] did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “THOU ART MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN THEE”; just as He says also in another passage, “THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” … Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5-6, 8- 10, bold emphasis added). THE PATTERN OF THE MENORAH REVEALED IN THE CRUCIFIXION As previously explained, Messiah Yeshua and the two criminals were crucified on the same tree (Chapter 7 Messiah Yeshua Crucified on the Almond Tree). In this picture, Peter Michas sees the 1 Aryeh Kaplan (Translator), The Torah Anthology, Vol. 9, p. 227. 4 pattern of the Menorah, the seven-branched lampstand located in the Holy Place of the Temple – the body of Yeshua forming the central shaft, surrounded by six upwardly stretched arms of the three as they hung on the tree. This picture is even more prophetically significant when viewed in the context of the connection between the Tree of Life and the Crucifixion Tree. The Menorah represents the Tree of Life (Chapter 5 The Tree of Life). As we have shown, according to the prophetic pattern as understood by Peter Michas, the Tree of Life grew on Mount Moriah in the Garden of Eden, the same place God chose for His Temple. Therefore, the Menorah in the Temple on Mount Moriah reveals the picture of the Tree of Life growing on Mount Moriah in the Garden of Eden at the time God fellowshipped directly with Adam and Eve before they sinned. From the Tree of Life came the miraculously budding Almond Rod, known as Aaron’s Rod, that was placed before the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. As previously explained, Peter Michas believes that King David planted Aaron’s Rod on the summit of the Mount of Olives, where it grew into the Crucifixion Tree (Chapter 6 Aaron’s Rod, the Tree of Life, and the Crucifixion Tree). If this is correct, there is a direct link between the Tree of Life and the Crucifixion Tree. Messiah Yeshua can also be seen to represent the fruit of the Tree of Life. Trusting in Yeshua’s sacrifice for our sins provides the only way of salvation and eternal life. In this way, the Tree of Life links to the Crucifixion and what Yeshua did for us in His sacrifice both symbolically and literally. THE DAY OF ATONEMENT PROPHETIC PICTURE POINTS TO MESSIAH YESHUA As previously detailed, the prophetic picture of Passover points to Messiah Yeshua as God’s Passover Lamb sacrificed for the redemption of all humankind (Chapter 9 Messiah Yeshua, God’s Passover Lamb). The prophetic picture of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) also points to Messiah Yeshua, as do all the Appointed Times of the Lord (Leviticus 23). The Day of Atonement is the holiest day of the year for the Jews. It is a time of fasting and seeking God’s forgiveness for one’s sins. During Temple times, sacrifices were made for the sins of the entire Israelite nation for the whole preceding year. It was the only day of the year when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the nation. 5 As we examine the meaning of the activities of this most holy and awesome day, unique parallels emerge in relation to the work of Messiah Yeshua in His death, resurrection, and ascension. The entire picture shows that Yeshua is the Messiah anointed by God and the Eternal High Priest who continually intercedes for us in Heaven. However, complete fulfillment of this Biblical Feast Day is yet to take place at Messiah Yeshua’s Second Coming. THE GOAT FOR GOD AND THE GOAT FOR AZAZEL God explained the law of atonement to Moses in Leviticus 16. Before the High Priest could make the sin sacrifice for the people, he had to first sacrifice a young bull for his own sins and those of the other priests. Only after this sacrifice was he allowed to enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. In contrast, Yeshua required no such sacrifice for He alone is sinless. The sin sacrifice for the Israelite nation was chosen by casting lots to select the goat for the sin offering to God. In addition, the goat for Azazel (scapegoat) was selected as the symbolic carrier of Israel’s sins into the desert wilderness.2 The two goats were required to be taken from the community, purchased at the same time, and alike in appearance, size, and value.3 “And he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting [Tabernacle]. And Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat [goat for Azazel]. Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat [goat for Azazel] fell, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat [goat for Azazel]” (Leviticus 16:7-10). According to this selection process, the two goats were brought before the High Priest – one stood to the right of the High Priest, the other stood to his left. The High Priest then placed his hands into a box containing two identical tablets of gold. One lot was engraved with the name of God, the other with the name of Azazel. Next, the High Priest drew out one of the lots with his right hand and placed it over the head of the goat to his right. Likewise, he drew the other lot with his left hand and placed it over the head of the goat on the left.4 2 The Hebrew word Azazel (Strong’s #5799) is translated “scapegoat” (Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26). 3 The Torah Anthology, Vol. 11, p. 338. 4 The Torah Anthology, Vol. 11, p. 338. 6 The goat designated for God was sacrificed and its blood offered for the sins of the people in the Holy of Holies by the High Priest.5 The goat designated for Azazel became the symbolic bearer of the sins of the people. A skein of scarlet thread was tied between its horns and the High Priest placed both hands on this goat, confessing the sins of the people. God commanded that the scapegoat be released into the wilderness – “And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness” (Leviticus 16:22). The goat for Azazel was led out through the Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount and into the Judean wilderness, a desolate desert area considered to be a place of demons.6 The name Azazel refers to the leader of the evil spirits (demons) of the wilderness.7 As the leader of demons (fallen angels), Azazel can be understood to be Satan. Significantly, the desert wilderness where Satan tempted Yeshua is the same place the goat for Azazel was led (Luke 4:1-2). Part of the scarlet wool tied to the goat’s horns was removed and attached to a rocky protrusion on a high cliff. Previously, part of the scarlet wool was also attached to the door of the Temple. Although the Word of God states that the goat was to be released into the wilderness, by tradition the goat for Azazel was cast over a high cliff. As its body shattered against the rocks, it was reported that the scarlet wool on the rocky cliff, as well as that on the door of the Temple, miraculously turned from red to white. This sign was interpreted as symbolizing the forgiveness of sins, according to Isaiah 1:18 – “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow.” Peter Michas sees a prophetic picture of the two goats relating to the two criminals crucified on the same tree with Yeshua. As Eternal High Priest, Yeshua’s hands stretched out over the heads of the two criminals crucified at His sides, just as the High Priest held his hands over the two goats. One man turned to God in repentance, while the other man refused to do so – And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, 5 Note: God ordained sacrifices to Him to be carried out in the most humane way possible in order to minimize pain and suffering of the animals. This is consistent with what the Word of God shows for humane treatment and care of animals in general, which was and is in marked contrast to the ancient pagan world as well as much of the world today – Proverbs 12:10; Jonah 4:11; Numbers 22:27-33; Matthew 10:29, 12:11; Luke 13:15, 14:5. 6 The Torah Anthology, Vol. 11, p. 348. 7 Merrill C. Tenney (Editor), The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 1, p. 426. 7 “Are You not the Christ [Messiah]? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus [Yeshua], remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:39-43). By their own freewill choices, the individuals determined to whom they belonged – God or Satan (Azazel). The individual who repented of his sins and asked Yeshua to remember Him in His Kingdom belonged to God. Surely, this man recognized Yeshua as the true Messiah. On the other hand, the unrepentant man challenged Yeshua to prove He was the Messiah by saving them from a physical death. His only concern was for his physical condition, not his spiritual condition. The Word of God explains that Yeshua bore the penalty for humanity’s sins and His righteousness is imparted to those who receive and trust in His sin-atonement sacrifice – Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [Messiah], and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ [Messiah] reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ [Messiah], as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ [Messiah], be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21, bold emphasis added). It is essential to understand that Yeshua did not literally become sin, for He is sinless – Let’s take a closer look at the word “sin” in 2 Corinthians 5:21. … First, scholars agree that the word “sin” in this passage is used in an abstract sense. They are virtually unanimous in pointing out that the phrase “to become sin” as used here is a metonym (a word or phrase substituted for another associated word or phrase) for Christ “bearing the penalty for our sins.” … Scripture does say that man’s sin was laid to the account of Christ (see Isaiah 53:4, 8 5). To put it another way, our sins were imputed to Christ and His righteousness is imputed to us. Clearly, the Levitical concepts of substitution and imputation are the background of 2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus did not literally become sin; sin was imputed to Him. The Bible insists that the sacrifice of Christ was a sufficient substitutionary offering precisely because it was a sinless sacrifice (bold emphasis added).8 Yeshua did not literally become sin, but the totality of humanity’s sin was imputed to Him. According to the prophetic picture as understood by Peter Michas, because Yeshua was sinless and could not retain sin, the sin was symbolically sent back to Satan through the man who rejected Him as Messiah and Redeemer. As mentioned above, the miraculous turning of the wool from scarlet to white indicated God’s acceptance of the Day of Atonement sacrifice for sin atonement. Remarkably, the Talmud records that the wool no longer turned from red to white during the forty-year period from the Crucifixion to the destruction of the Temple (Yoma 39b). This confirms Yeshua’s sacrifice as the final and complete fulfillment of the Day of Atonement sin sacrifice. Thereafter, God did not accept animal sacrifices for sin. The Talmud also records that every year, for forty consecutive years before the destruction of the Temple, the High Priest drew the lot for God in his left hand (Yoma 39b). Just as drawing God’s lot in the right hand was considered an auspicious sign, drawing it in the left hand was considered an ominous sign. For this lot to be drawn in the left hand on forty consecutive years during the Day of Atonement selection of the two goats was against the odds of random chance and struck fear into the hearts of the Jewish people. These were not the only ominous signs occurring at this time. Two other signs reported by the Talmud occurred in the Temple (Yoma 39b). In one, the westernmost light of the menorah, which is thought to be the light used to light the other lights, refused to burn. In addition, the doors of the Temple began to open by themselves. The rabbis interpreted this sign as imminent fulfillment of Zechariah 11:1, “Open your doors, O Lebanon, that a fire may feed on your cedars,” prophesying the destruction of the Temple by fire. Forty years later, this is exactly what happened when the Romans destroyed the Temple. 8 Hank Hannegraff, Christianity in Crisis, p. 159. 9 THE DAY OF ATONMENT PROPHETIC FULFILLMENT BY MESSIAH YESHUA According to the Biblical calendar, the forty-day period beginning on the 1st of Elul leading up through the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur on the 10th of Tishri) is a time of repentance (teshuvah - turning to God). The ten days beginning with Rosh HaShanah (Feast of Trumpets – 1st of Tishri) and culminating with Yom Kippur are referred to as the Days of Awe or Days of Repentance.9 The Jews understand that God has “books” in which the names of those who shall live or die are written. The Book of Revelation tells us about the Book of Life that contains the names of those who have salvation in Messiah Yeshua (Revelation 20:12). The Jews hope to be written in the Book of Life, with the understanding that the books are sealed on the Day of Atonement. This understanding fits the prophetic pattern and timetable that God’s judgment will fall on the world during this period of time (Revelation 16). After His baptism (immersion into the Jordan River), Yeshua fasted in the wilderness for forty days (Luke 4:1-13). This forty-day period coincides with the period beginning just before the 1st of Elul and continuing the rest of the month (29-30 days), with sufficient time for Yeshua to return to Nazareth by the Day of Atonement. This fits the prophetic pattern and timetable of the days of repentance. Yeshua began His public ministry on a Biblical Sabbath day, on the Day of Atonement, proclaiming the year of Jubilee (Luke 4:16-21). At His First Coming, Yeshua did not come to judge but to save. He came as Redeemer and Savior to pay the price for sin, fulfilling the Day of Atonement sin-atonement sacrifices as the Eternal High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5, 6, 7). He made all-sufficient complete atonement for humanity’s sins by His once-for-all-time sacrifice. According to the prophetic picture and timeline, Messiah Yeshua’s Second Coming takes place sometime during the Ten Days of Awe (Ten Days of Repentance). At that time the Rapture (Catching Up) and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb take place (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 9 http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday3.html - Jewish Virtual Library, article: Days of Awe – accessed November 21, 2016. 10