Untitled Sermon (3)

Matthew 27:15–26 LEB

15 Now at each feast, the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd—the one whom they wanted. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. 17 So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you—Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy. 19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much as a result of a dream today because of him.”) 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Barabbas and put Jesus to death. 21 So the governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!” 22 Pilate said to them, “What then should I do with Jesus, the one who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they began to shout even louder, saying, “Let him be crucified!” 24 So Pilate, when he saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but instead an uproar was developing, took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to it!” 25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them, but after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over so that he could be crucified.

Leviticus 16:14–23 LEB

14 And he shall take some of the bull’s blood, and he shall spatter it with his finger on the atonement cover’s surface on the eastern side, and before the atonement cover he shall spatter some of the blood with his finger seven times. 15 “And he shall slaughter the sin offering’s goat, which is for the people, and he shall bring its blood from behind the curtain, and he shall do with its blood as that which he did with the bull’s blood, and he shall spatter it on the atonement cover and before the atonement cover. 16 Thus he shall make atonement for the sanctuary from the Israelites’ impurities and from their transgressions for all their sins; and so he must do for the tent of assembly, which dwells with them in the midst of their impurities. 17 And no person shall be in the tent of assembly when he enters to make atonement in the sanctuary until he comes out, and so he shall make atonement for himself and for his family and for all of Israel’s assembly. 18 “Then he shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh, and he shall make atonement for it; and he shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood, and he shall put it all around on the altar’s horns. 19 And he shall spatter some of the blood on it seven times with his finger, and he shall cleanse it and consecrate it from the Israelites’ impurities. 20 “And he shall finish making atonement for the sanctuary and the tent of assembly and the altar; then he shall present the living goat. 21 And Aaron shall place his two hands on the living goat’s head, and he shall confess over it all the Israelites’ iniquities and all their transgressions for all their sins, and he shall put them on the goat’s head, and he shall send it away into the desert with a man standing ready. 22 Thus the goat shall bear on it to a barren region all their guilt, and he shall send the goat away into the desert. 23 “And Aaron shall enter the tent of assembly, and he shall take off the linen garments that he put on at his coming to the sanctuary, and he shall leave them there.

 The year the scarlet thread stopped turning white - the importance of the historical and cultural context

The Scarlet thread of the scape goat turned from red to white on the day of atonement up until AD 30! This temple miracle signified God accepted their sacrifice, and forgave their sin. The imagery of the scapegoat provided powerful teaching on atonement. The Jewish Talmud points to a new day of atonement. A one time all sufficient sacrifice that would happened on the hill of Calvary. After that day, the thread in the temple stopped turning white! I first heard about this from my O.T. Jewish professor at Moody. I can still remember the joy in his face, as a messianic Jew he felt the weight the Jewish text. Who would have thought someone would be so excited that God had stopped a miracle! He taught us that day the importance of the historical and cultural context in understanding the biblical text.

"...and it has further been taught: 'For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red'. - Rosh HaShanah 31b, Babylonian Talmud, Soncino Press Edition."

"...but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God... Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin." (Heb 10:12-18 NAS) 

"Here is the basic story:  Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the scarlet cord stopped turning white showing that Yom Kippur sacrifice was not accepted by God. This is by far the most interesting of the Jewish sources that has to do with the legend of Azazel. The Azazel is the Jewish name for the scapegoat. 

In the ritual for the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, two goats were brought into the Temple, one was killed as a blood sacrifice, the other after the laying on of hands was chased out into the wilderness symbolically carrying the year's sins. That was the scapegoat. 

According to Jewish writing of this period, it became the custom to tie a red ribbon around the scapegoat, and when the goat was sent out to the wilderness the ribbon turned white. The changing of the color of the red ribbon to white signified that God had forgiven the sins of Israel for that year. The Jewish legend goes on to say that the red ribbon stopped turning white, 40 years before the destruction of the Temple. So, as of the year 30 AD, God was no longer forgiving the sins of Israel by means of the Yom Kippur sacrifice of the slaying of on goat, and the sending forth of the other in to the wilderness"  http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/odds.htm

A couple clarifications on the above, I understood there to be two scarlet threads, one tied on each goat. The ribbon on the goat that was sacrificed was hung on the temple door, and the ribbon on the scapegoat remained on the goat. As the scapegoat ran away the ribbons turned white.

Regarding laying hands on the animal: While the priest laid his hands on the animal, he would confess the sins of the people. The sins would then be symbolically transferred to the animal. When the animal was put to death or released it into the wilderness, the sins were atoned for as they died with the animal and were taken into the wilderness. The goat would serve as the people's substitutionary atonement.

The imagery was clear to Israel. Jesus became both our sacrificial lamb (substiutionary atonement) and our scapegoat, taking our sins away, as we place our hands on him and in faith confess and repent of our sins. Like with the animal sacrifice, our sins are symbolically transferred to him), In His death, Jesus atones for our sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, it demonstrated that God the Father had accepted His death as payment for our sin and because he lives, no further atonement is necessary.

Because He lives, His atonement made in AD 30 can be applied to our hearts and atone for our sins today! There is no need for a cord in a temple to change color to tell us God accepted our confession of faith, because when our sins are atoned for, it is our hearts that change, they become white as snow! Now that is a miracle!

"Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. (Isa 1:18 NAS) 

When we discover the historical context behind some of these O.T. concepts, the Bible takes on a new richness and deeper meaning! 

The Talmud and other Jewish writings provide a cultural and historical insight when placed next to the light of inspired scripture and often provide a deeper perspective into key theological concepts like the day of atonement.

"The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (Hebrew: משנה, c. 200 CE), a written compendium of Rabbinic Judaism's Oral Torah, and the Gemara (c. 500 CE), an elucidation of the Mishnah and related Tannaitic writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Hebrew Bible. "Talmud" translates literally as "instruction" in Hebrew, and the term may refer to either the Gemara alone, or the Mishnah and Gemara together.

The entire Talmud consists of 63 tractates, and in standard print is over 6,200 pages long. It is written in Tannaitic Hebrew and Jewish Babylonian Aramaic and contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis (dating from before the Common Era through the fifth century CE) on a variety of subjects, including Halakha (law), Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, lore and many other topics. The Talmud is the basis for all codes of Jewish law, and is widely quoted in rabbinic literature." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmud

by N. Federoff & T. Peterson

In the centuries following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 CE), the Jewish people began writing two versions of Jewish thought, religious history and commentary. One was written in Palestine and became known as the Jerusalem Talmud. [see special endnote at the end of this article concerning the Talmud] The other was written in Babylon and was known as the Babylonian Talmud.

We read in the Jerusalem Talmud:

"Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the western light went out, the crimson thread remained crimson, and the lot for the Lord always came up in the left hand. They would close the gates of the Temple by night and get up in the morning and find them wide open" (Jacob Neusner, The Yerushalmi, p.156-157). [the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE]

A similar passage in the Babylonian Talmud states:

"Our rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot ['For the Lord'] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did the western most light shine; and the doors of the Hekel [Temple] would open by themselves" (Soncino version, Yoma 39b).

What are these passages talking about? Since both Talmuds recount the same information, this indicates the knowledge of these events was accepted by the widespread Jewish community.

1) The Miracle of the ''Lot''

The first of these miracles concerns a random choosing of the ''lot'' which was cast on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The lot chosen determined which of two goats would be "for the Lord" and which goat would be the ''Azazel'' or ''scapegoat.'' During the two hundred years before 30 CE, when the High Priest picked one of two stones, again this selection was governed by chance, and each year the priest would select a black stone as often as a white stone. But for forty years in a row, beginning in 30 CE, the High Priest always picked the black stone! The odds against this happening are astronomical (2 to the 40th power). In other words, the chances of this occurring are 1 in approximately 1,099,511,627,776 — or over one trillion to one! By comparison, your chances of winning your local state or municipal-run cash Lottery would be much more favorable!

The lot for Azazel, the black stone, contrary to all the laws of chance, came up 40 times in a row from 30 to 70 AD! This was considered a dire event and signified something had fundamentally changed in this Yom Kippur ritual. This casting of lots is also accompanied by yet another miracle which is described next.

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2) The Miracle of the Red Strip

The second miracle concerns the crimson strip or cloth tied to the Azazel goat. A portion of this red cloth was also removed from the goat and tied to the Temple door. Each year the red cloth on the Temple door turned white as if to signify the atonement of another Yom Kippur was acceptable to the Lord. This annual event happened until 30 CE when the cloth then remained crimson each year to the time of the Temple's destruction. This undoubtedly caused much stir and onsternation among the Jews. This traditional practice is linked to Israel confessing its sins and ceremonially placing this nation's sin upon the Azazel goat. The sin was then removed by this goat's death. Sin was represented by the red color of the cloth (the color of blood). But the cloth remained crimson — that is, Israel's sins were not being pardoned and ''made white.''

As God told Israel through Isaiah the prophet:

''Come, let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet [crimson], they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as [white] wool'' (Isaiah 1:18).

The clear indication is that the whole community had lost the Lord's attention in relation to something that occurred in 30 CE The yearly atonement achieved through the typical Yom Kippur observance was not being realized as expected. Atonement apparently was to be gained in some other way. Who or what would provide the atonement for another year?

Concerning the crimson strip—though not mentioned in the Scriptures and long before 30 C.E.—during the 40 years Simon the Righteous was High Priest, a crimson thread which was associated with his person always turned white when he entered the Temple's innermost Holy of Holies. The people noticed this. Also, they noted that ''the lot of the LORD'' (the white lot) came up for 40 straight years during Simon's priesthood. They noticed that the ''lot'' picked by the priests after Simon would sometimes be black, and sometimes white, and that the crimson thread would sometimes turn white, and sometimes not. The Jews came to believe that if the crimson thread turned white, that God approved of the Day of Atonement rituals and that Israel could be assured that God forgave their sins. But after 30 CE, the crimson thread never turned white again for 40 years, till the destruction of the Temple and the cessation of all Temple rituals!

What did the Jewish nation do in 30 CE to merit such a change at Yom Kippur? By some accounts, on April 5, 30 CE (i.e., on the 14th of Nisan, the day of the Passover sacrifice) the Messiah, Yeshua, was cut off from Israel, himself put to death as a sacrifice for sin. To this event there is a transference of the atonement now no longer achieved through the two goats as offered at Yom Kippur. Like an innocent Passover lamb, the Messiah was put to death though no fault was found in Him! But unlike Temple sacrifices or the Yom Kippur events (as detailed above) where sin is only covered over for a time, the Messianic sacrifice comes with the promise of forgiveness of sins through grace given by God to those who accept a personal relationship with Messiah. This is essentially a one time event for each person's lifetime and not a continual series of annual observances and animal sacrifices. The mechanism providing forgiveness of sin changed in 30 CE

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3) The Miracle of the Temple Doors

The next miracle, which the Jewish authorities acknowledged, was that the Temple doors swung open every night of their own accord. This too occurred for forty years, beginning in 30 CE The leading Jewish authority of that time, Yohanan ben Zakkai, declared that this was a sign of impending doom, that the Temple itself would be destroyed.

The Jerusalem Talmud states:

''Said Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai to the Temple, 'O Temple, why do you frighten us? We know that you will end up destroyed. For it has been said, 'Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars' '' (Zechariah 11:1)' (Sota 6:3).

Yohanan Ben Zakkai was the leader of the Jewish community during the time following the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, when the Jewish government was transferred to Jamnia, some thirty miles west of Jerusalem.

Might the doors have opened to also signify that all may now enter the Temple, even to its innermost holy sections. The evidence supported by the miracles described above suggests the Lord's presence had departed from the Temple. This was no longer just a place for High Priests alone, but the doors swung open for all to enter the Lord's house of worship.

4) The Miracle of the Temple Menorah

The fourth miracle was that the most important lamp of the seven candle-stick Menorah in the Temple went out, and would not shine. Every night for 40 years (over 12,500 nights in a row) the main lamp of the Temple lampstand (menorah) went out of its own accord — no matter what attempts and precautions the priests took to safeguard against this event!

Earnest Martin states:

''In fact, we are told in the Talmud that at dusk the lamps that were unlit in the daytime (the middle four lamps remained unlit, while the two eastern lamps normally stayed lit during the day) were to be re-lit from the flames of the western lamp (which was a lamp that was supposed to stay lit all the time — it was like the 'eternal' flame that we see today in some national monuments) . . .

''This 'western lamp' was to be kept lit at all times. For that reason, the priests kept extra reservoirs of olive oil and other implements in ready supply to make sure that the 'western lamp' (under all circumstances) would stay lit. But what happened in the forty years from the very year Messiah said the physical Temple would be destroyed? Every night for forty years the western lamp went out, and this in spite of the priests each evening preparing in a special way the western lamp so that it would remain constantly burning all night!'' (The Significance of the Year CE 30, Ernest Martin, Research Update, April 1994, p.4).

Again, the odds against the lamp continually going out are astronomical. Something out of the ordinary was going on. The ''light'' of the Menorah—representing contact with God, His Spirit, and His Presence—was now removed. This special demonstration occurred starting with the crucifixion of the Messiah!

It should be clear to any reasonable mind that there is no natural way to explain all these four signs connected with the year 30 CE The only possible explanation has to be supernatural.

After 30 CE, and the death of the Messiah, great trouble and awesome trials began to come upon the Jewish nation. Yeshua Himself foretold it. As He was led away to be crucified, Yeshua warned the women of Jerusalem:

But Jesus, turning to them, said, ''Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' Then they will begin `to say to the mountains, ''Fall on us!'' and to the hills, ''Cover us!'' ' ''For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?" (Luke 23:28-31).

When we take an objective look at the events of 30 CE, who can doubt that it was indeed the true year of the crucifixion and resurrection of the true Messiah God sent to Israel? Who can deny that He is the one and only true Messiah? Who else has fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament — including the amazing prophecy of Daniel 9 and the ''70 weeks,'' coming at the very year predicted for the Messiah to appear?

[Editor's note: A detailed study of Daniel, including the prophecy of 70 weeks appears in Chapter 15 of the Creator's Window. This chapter is available as a PDF file to read online or to download for reading offline. The riddle of the 70 weeks is essentially a time line that leads one to the same conclusion drawn above.]

For additional evidence of the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a., the Tanach or the Old Covenant) we suggest a reading of Dr. Arnold Fructenbaum's book 'Messianic Christology,' see our book list for reference. This publication is a wonderful study of the numerous Messianic prophecies that were all fulfilled by Yeshua.