A STUDY OF IMMERSION/BAPTISMS
THE WALK OF PURITY
By: Peggy Pryor

Part Two: Worship in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem

What was the purpose of the Mishkan/Tabernacle and the form of worship prescribed? The Mishkan/Tabernacle was seen by the people as containing the very throne of God. The earth had become consumed with evil after Adam had sinned and was removed from the Garden of Eden. There was not an area on earth that the Lord could walk and talk with man as he had done in the Garden of Eden. The tabernacle was established, by a commandment from God, to provide a dwelling place for God here on earth and for man to commune with and worship him in a pure environment. In Exodus 25:8 it is written:

"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them".

This Beit HaMikdash/Sanctuary was to take the place of the pleasant walks and talks that God had with man in the Garden of Eden. The Beit HaMikdash/Sanctuary was to be devoted completely to the communication with and the worship of God, where everything pertaining to the impurity of sin would be excluded. The great Kingdom age when Messiah will rule and reign here on earth, from Jerusalem, for a thousand year span is seen in Jewish Eschatology as a repeat of the Garden of Eden.

Thus the rules regarding ritual impurity are understood. The main rules regarding ritural impurity are pertaining to the Mishkan/Tabernacle or later the Beit HaMikdash/Sanctuary or Holy Temple in Jerusalem. If a person should enter the Temple Beit HaMikdash/Sanctuary in a state of ritual impurity the severest penalties were imposed. In Numbers 19:20 it is written:

"But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the santuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean".

Ritual uncleanness is often thought of as sin.

Everything given by God in both the Tabernacle and the Temple was given to us as an example for us to learn something about Messiah. We might ask, "what was the purpose of all the sacrifices"? We know that Yeshua was the perfect sacrifice that takes away all the sins of the world ... the sins are varied and so must the sacrifices be varied. For one sacrifice to meet each of the requirements of each sin that is committed is impossible for the human mind to comprehend as a whole.

The Lord in His infinite understanding of our mind, devised a way that would illustrate and teach the concept to unregenerate man. That teaching, with visual aids, is depicted by the animal sacrificial system. I cannot imagine a more graphic way to illustrate the horror of sin and the price paid than to kill a gentle, sin free lamb, see its blood flow, its body go limp. Then, the impact that it would make upon my mind realizing that I am the cause of its death. Multiply that by trillions of sins that our Messiah bore in His own body.

When Yeshua was sacrificed, He met the requirements of the hata'at/sin offering, olah/burnt offering, and mincha/bread offering, sh'lamim/peace offering and asham/guilt offering. How best to impact people than with the death of an animal. Each type of animal sacrifice is illustrating what Messiah had to do to meet the requirement to nullify that particular type of sin. The animal sacrifice system was not instituted to take away their sins. In Hebrew 10:4 it is written:

"It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins".

Never was it the purpose of the sacrificial system to "save" anyone. Those before the death of Messiah were "saved" by faith just as we are today. We receive faith by believing God ... just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. In Romans 4:3 it is written:

"Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness".

God used everything as a visual aid to teach the people through out all ages about Messiah and His redemptive work All the colors, furniture, vail, altar, ceremonies etc., were a visual aid in teaching us about Messiah and His redemptive work.

INSTALLATION/CONSECRATION OF THE KOHANIM/PRIESTS

      Immersion as part of the installation/consecration ceremony of the Kohanim/priests was to attain a higher degree of holiness ... in essence to show a change of status. The immersion of the whole body was a necessary part of the installation/consecration ceremonies of the Kohanim/Priests. Worship in the Holy Temple would be impossible if the Kohanim/priest were tomeh/ritually impure. A vital part of the ceremonies of the installation/consecration of the Kohanim/priests was immersion not because they were ritually impure but to show elevation of status. There must be a change of status to assume the role of Kohen/priest, as described in the following scriptures. In Exodus 29:4 it is written:

"And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water".

      In Leviticus 8:6 it is written:

"And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water".

      In Exodus 40:12 it is written:

"And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water".

All Kohanim/priests were required to go through an immersion as part of the consecration/installation ceremony as we have previously seen in Exodus 29:4, before assuming the duties of the priesthood. A man had to be 30 years of age and a descendent from Aaron. We see that the priestly line of Yeshua came from His mother who was related to Elisheva a descendent of Aaron (Luke 1:5). Yeshua was not an exception, before entering into His ministry He had to be immersed, choosing His cousin Yochanan haMatvil to be the witness. Not because Yeshua was tomeh/ ritually unclean but because he was making a change of status to a higher degree of Holiness. It was customary also for anyone going on a fast to be immersed. In Mathew 4:1-2, it is written:

Then was Yeshua led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. {2} And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

Many sermons have been preached on this one subject but the simple truth is Yeshua had to carry out every requirement in Torah or He would not have been the perfect Passover lamb that takes away the sin of the world.

SEPARATION OF THE LEVITES TO THE SERVICE OF God

      The Levites were servants in the Beit haMikdash/Sanctuary or Temple. The ceremony that separated them unto the service of God and cleanse them from tomeh/ritually impurity consisted of an immersion according to Numbers 8:15 as it is written:

"And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering".

This applies to us as servants of the Lord, we are set aside for the service to the Lord and our body is a living sacrifice as recorded in the words of Rav Shaul/Rabbi Paul in Romans 12:1 as it is written:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service".

YOM KIPPUR/THE DAY OF ATONEMENT CEREMONY

      The Kohen haGadol/The High Priest during the ceremony of Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement entered the Kodesh haKodhashim/Holy of Hollies two times, requiring an immersion and change of garments a total of five times in the Holy Place. The Kohen haGadol/High Priest was not ritually impure but there was a change of status each time he went before the Lord. In Leviticus 16:24 it is written:

"And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people."

Contrary to popular belief in Christian circles there was not a rope tied to his leg and there were not bells on the bottom of his garment. The Kohen haGadol/High Priest was trained extensively on what to do so that there would not be any mistakes. However, if there should be a mistake, another Kohen/priest would go in and finish the ceremony. This never happened.

The Azazel ceremony that took place on Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement consisted of two goats presented at the alter, lots being cast over them one was given to Adonai and the other was given to Azazel. The meaning of the word azazel is unknown but the Talmud thus denotes the mountain on which the scapegoat is sent. We call the one given to azazel the scapegoat. The goat given to Adonai was taken in and slaughtered on the alter. A scarlet cloth was tied to the horn of the second goat and then taken twelve miles out into the wilderness to a mountain cliff. The scarlet cloth was taken off the horn of the goat and placed on a rock, the goat was then pushed off the cliff being torn to shreds before hitting the bottom. It is said when atonement was made the scarlet cloth turned snow white. All the people assembled at the Temple were awaiting the news ... has the cloth turned white this year? When the word came of the change in color, there was great rejoicing among the people. In Isaiah 1:18 our Lord says it this way:

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool".

After Messiah was slain in 30 C.E. until the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E., it is said that the cloth never again turned from scarlet to white.

The Kohen/priest that was responsible to take the scapegoat in the Azazel ceremony into the wilderness must have a total immersion of himself and his garments. In Leviticus 16:26 it is written:

"And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and immerse/bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp".

The Kohen/priest that burned the ox and the sin offering must have a total immersion for himself and his garments. In Leviticus 16:28 it is written:

"And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and immerse/bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp".

THE RED HEIFER CEREMONY - A RIGHT OF PURIFICATION

      Without the ashes of the red heifer, the purification process for all the implements used in Temple worship could not be performed. The ashes were mixed with water and sprinkled on all implements, including the brazen altar, the golden lampstand, table of shewbread, etc. for the purpose of purification.

According to the Mishnah, the rede heifer was to meet very strict specifications (For more detailed information consult the tractate, "Parah" in the Mishnah). The red heifer was to be two years old or younger without any sort of blemish, mark. She must not have two dark hairs coming from the same hair follicle. A yolk must never have been placed on her neck.

Today the Kohen/priest are preparing to start Temple worship as quickly as they can. They have prepared many of the vessels used in worship. They have the garments that are necessary. To find the ashes of the last red heifer is not necessary or even advisable because there is no way of knowing if they have been contaminated. They do not need to have a fully constructed Temple building before worship can begin (Ezra 3:2) but they must have access to the Temple mount so that they can build an altar. This precedence is set in Ezra 3:2 as it is written:

"Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God".

What is needed, however, it to be able to place the new altar over the exact spot where thet altar was in the previous temples. There has been much speculation, by many credible archaeologists, as to the exact location of the Temple. In the March/April 192 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, twelve possible theories were presented. One in particular is worthy of mention here. In the Mishnah, there is a passage describing drain holes around the altar for the blood of the sacrifices to empty into the Kidron Valley (Mishnah, Middoth 3:2). It seems that drain holes have been found under the Dome of the Rock. The altar must be positioned in the same location of the past altars. If these are the same drain holes used around the altar, this will elminate the theory that the Dome of the Rock and the Holy Temple will stand side by side on this most holy of spots. The Lord is releasing information on a "need to know basis".

The red heifer was taken outside the camp to be slaughtered. The heifer was to be burned with all its blood, flesh, hide and refuse. Cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet material cast into the fire and burned also. After burning, the ashes were beaten and then gathered. There was approximately four gallons of ashes. The ashes were then mixed with water and all in the Temple was sprinkled with this mixture. Everything that could be immersed was but what could not be immersed was sprinkled for purification.

A new red heifer is being sought. Red Angus cows are thought to be the best breed for the prospective candidate. Some cows that are with calf are already being shipped to Israel from America. The hope is that one will fit the criteria. None of Temple worship can begin without the ashes of the red heifer. The ashes of the red heifer is needed to perform the purification process.

The Kohen/priest who slaughtered the red heifer was unclean for a day, a total immersion was required for this purification. In Numbers 19:7 it is written:

"Then the kohen/priest shall immerse/wash his clothes, and he shall immerse/bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even".

The kohen/priest who burned the red heifer was unclean for a day, a total immersion was required for his purification. In Numbers 19:8 it is written:

"And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even".

PROSELYTE

      When a person converts to Judaism he must enter the covenant in the same manner as Israel did when they first accepted the Torah on Mount Sinai. In Numbers 15:15, it is written:

"One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD"

Every male that converts to Judaism must, therefore, undergo the special ceremony of ritual circumcision. If he is already circumcised blood of the covenant called the Dam B'rit must be drawn. Both men and women must then undergo immersion. When the Holy Temple, the Beit haMikdash, stood in Jerusalem and the sacrificial system was in force, the third element of conversion involved bringing a sacrifice. As the Holy Temple is no longer standing and the sacrificial system cannot be performed that is not required. However the immersion and circumcision are required.

The ritual of immersion as well as circumcision, which were required of a male is not something that a convert can do on his own. Since it involves a major change in a persons communal status it must be treated as a community function. When a person converts to Judaism he undergoes a ritual purification and a change in status to a higher degree of holiness. Therefore, these rituals are administered by a three man Rabbinical Court, called a Beit Din. Unless done in the presence of such a court the conversion is not valid.

The conversion of the proselyte required Kavvahah/intention and the recitation of a benediction. The proselyte recites the benediction after the immersion because until then he cannot affirm the part which says "...God of our fathers...who has commanded us." The blessing for immersion of a convert is as follows;

"Blessed are You, O God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by your commandments, and commanded us concerning the immersion".

The Talmud states, "as soon as the convert immerses and emerges he is like a Jew in every way." How does immersion in a Mikvah change a person: This can best be understood by another Talmudic teaching, that "a convert who embraces Judaism is like a new born child." We see an example of this in the conversion of the proselyte, he becomes a Jew in every way just as if he had been born a Jew

A Jewish person who converts to another religion is still considered a Jew and does not require any form of conversion when returning to Judaism. However, it is customary for him to immerse as a sign of repentance and spiritual re-birth.

Timothy circumcised by Rav Shaul/Rabbi Paul as recorded in Acts 16:3 was to show intention and acceptance of the covenant to a higher degree of Holiness. An immersion was also a part of the ceremony of Timothy. Undoubtedly Rav Shaul/Rabbi Paul was part of the Beit Din. In Acts 16:3 it is written:

"Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek".

There is a tradition with some evidence that the conversion with immersion goes back to the time of the Patriarchs. The reason that Abraham was chosen to become the father of many nations was that he would teach his household of the ways of God. In Genesis 18:19 it is written:

"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgement; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him".

Abraham was deeply concerned with others and taught those around him concerning God. Abraham was what we might call an evangelist. He spread the teachings of God and began what was to become Judaism. According to tradition, he literally converted people to this new way of life. His son Isaac and grandson Jacob continued the message. Today, we might call their converts proselytes. It is said, by tradition, the convert was immersed. We receive a hint of this when Abraham receives a visit by three angels in Genesis 18:14 as it is written:

"Let now a little water be taken, and wash your feet".

      The Zohar explains that this alluded to the fact that Abraham had a mikvah and practiced immersion.

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