Midrash Notes - October 15, 2005
©Teresa Smith - Ezra's Table Ministries
Leviticus 5.1 - 6.7; Zechariah 5.1 - 6.15; Revelation 5.1 - 6.17

Leviticus 5.1 - 6.7 - The Guilt / Trespass offering

5.1 - "When he has heard a public imprecation and - although able to testify as one who has either seen or learned of the matter - he does not give information, so that he is subject to punishment" --- publicly calls on those who have information about the case to appear and testify

A person who withholds evidence thereby becomes a sinner and is subject to penalty of sin -- Because many decent people avoid giving testimony for fear of hurting others or of making enemies, the Torah must state plainly that failure to testify makes one liable to divine punishment

In 5.14ff -- the law is given regarding a person who does harm to the property of another (robbery, denying receipt of a deposit and so on) and commits perjury regarding the matter, but who later confesses the sin. The punishment of such a person is twofold: restoration has to be made with the addition a fifth (20%) of the value, and a guilt offering must be brought to atone for the theft. {Whether it be against YHVH or another person} The guilty party cannot find atonement until full restoration of the stolen amount is made directly to the owners

In v. 21, betrayal of trust against another person - although the deception of one person by another is conceived as a betrayal of God's trust because it is YHVH who insists on a standard of honesty from humanity.

Re 6.1 - 7 - whereas the previous section has been concerned with offenses strictly against YHVH, here the focus is offenses against one's fellowman. Only when the latter has been satisfied may one then bring a guilt offering to YHVH.

The trespass offering illustrates the solemn fact that it is a very costly thing for people to commit sin and for God to cleanse sin. Our sins hurt God and hurt others. True repentance will always bring with it a desire for restitution. We will want to make things right with God and with those whom we've sinned against.

From Torah Studies - Schneerson (VAYIKRA)

At the beginning of Vayikra it says, "If any man brings an offering of you to the L-rd." At first glance we would suppose that the phrase "of you" refers to "any man," thus: "If any man of you brings an offering. ..." But the order of words in the Torah rules this out. The Torah is precise in every detail. An apparently misplaced word has great significance. The sentence must read, "If any man brings an offering of you . . . ," and the implication is that the sacrifice must be of yourself.

Every facet of the physical Sanctuary had its counterpart in the sanctuary of the soul. So there is an inward act of sacrifice in life that precisely mirrors the outward act that took place in the Sanctuary. Even that outward act-though it involved the sacrifice of a physical animal-was essentially a spiritual one.

The Hebrew word for sacrifice, korban, shares a root with the word, kerov, meaning, "close". Sacrifices bring our spiritual potential to the surface, carrying us closer to YHVH -- {the connection between the sacrifices and the essential Godly nature of the soul is reflected by the verse - Leviticus 1.2 - "When a man…brings a sacrifice." [Literal Translation = "When a man will offer of you a sacrifice to God of the animal"

The physical sacrifice was thus a spiritual encounter. So, indeed more so, is the inward act of sacrifice. And this is the meaning of "If any man brings an offering of you. ..." "Offering" in Hebrew means "drawing near." And when someone wishes to draw near to God he must make a sacrifice to God of his very self. The offering must be "of you." It is "you" that is the sacrifice.

A true sacrifice is not the offering of something external to the person, but an offering of the person himself

The sentence continues: "... You shall bring your offering from the cattle, the herd and the flock." Thus there are two sacrifices in the sanctuary of the soul. The first is "of you," of yourself. The second is "from the cattle," from the "animal soul" which constitutes all physical desires, all instincts which a man has in virtue of having a body and being part of the natural world. It is this second offering, which is the ultimate aim of sacrifice: The sanctification and redirection of the "animal" in man.

When an animal was to be sacrificed on the altar, the first thing that had to be done was to see that it was whole, perfect, without blemish. Only then could it be offered. So it is in the "drawing near" of man. The "animal" within himself must be without blemish before it can be sacrificed. The first step is self-examination. He must search the recesses of his soul for faults. And having found them, he must set them right. The search must be sincere, not done out of a mechanical sense of duty. For his whole spiritual integrity depends on it. Once he realizes what is at stake, he will not cover his faults in self-deception, or leave them to fester.

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch said: the sacrifice is not only of "you"; it depends on "you." It is within the scope of every one, whatever his present and whatever his past.

Once the animal has been examined, and found to be without blemish, it must be killed. That is, one does not destroy its body, merely takes away its life. Then it is offered on the altar, where it is consumed by fire sent from above by G-d. This is the procedure for physical sacrifices in the Sanctuary, and it applies also to the inward sacrifice. After one has set right the faults or blemishes in one's way of life, the "animal" must be killed. The life must be taken from one's instinctual, physical drives. Their energy must be redirected. The "body," that is, the physical acts, remain. But their motive is now wholly spiritual, to give strength to the life of Divine Service.

Then comes the moment of "drawing near." The body, the "animal soul" is drawn into the fire of the soul, the fire that is the love of G-d: "Its flames are flames of fire, the flame of G-d."

In the Sh'ma it states: "And you shall love the YHVH your Elohim with all your heart." The Rabbis asked, what is "with all your heart?" And they answered, "with your two inclinations." When the power and passion of natural man is harnessed to the love of G-d of spiritual man, the fire within merges with the answering fire of heaven, and man and G-d "draw near." {Cf - Ecclesiastes 5.1; Hebrews 7.25; James 4.8}

Zechariah 5.1 - 6.15
The Flying Scroll (5:1-4). In the vision Zechariah sees a flying scroll that measures thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. The dimensions are unusual and unlikely for a literal scroll, which has led some commentators to connect it with the identical dimensions of the porch of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:3), where the Law was usually read. It is most likely that the enlarged measurements simply enforce the serious nature of this judgment.

When Zechariah describes it, the angel tells him "this is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished" (v. 3). This judgment was already in motion, and it had the effect not only of judging the thief and liar but even destroying the timbers and stones of the houses in which they lived.

It is a way of saying that God will judge all sin in the land.

The Woman in a Basket (5:5-11).
Here a woman sitting in a basket symbolizes wickedness.

The woman is described as "wickedness." While Zechariah watches, the woman is pushed down into the basket, a lead cover is placed over its opening and two winged women arrive to carry the basket to Babylon where a place is to be prepared for it.

Zechariah 6.1-8 mentions four chariots coming out from between two bronze mountains, the color of the chariot horses (red, black, white, and dappled) - cf. Horses in Rev 6 -- , and the directions in which the chariots are said to go. What is emphasized is that the chariots are to go out into every part of the earth.

As a result of the work of the chariots that went north the wrath of YHVH is appeased and therefore the Ruach is at rest.

These visions concern apply, probably, to a future age of millennial blessing, when evil will indeed be purged out of Israel and the nations will indeed be judged.

"Then God's judgments shall be fully poured out, and anti-Christian world power be finally overthrown to make room for the Kingdom of Christ, whom the Father has invested with all power and dominion and glory, 'that all nations and languages should serve him.' His dominion is an everlasting dominion, 'and His Kingdom shall never be destroyed."

THE CROWNING OF JOSHUA (C.F. Zechariah 3) parallels the incident involving Joshua the high priest in chapter 3. In the earlier passage Joshua appeared as a representative and pointed forward to one who would perfectly fulfill the priestly office, thereby removing the sin of the land "in a single day."

In the Hebrew text the word for "crown" ('ataroth) is plural. These crowns were to be made from silver (benYosef) and gold (benDavid) that is collected from those returning from exile

Messiah ben Yosef and Messiah ben David

In Israel the priestly and kingly offices were kept separate. The priest never wore a crown or sat upon a throne. The king never performed the priestly functions. Yet here a crown is placed upon the head of Joshua, pointing forward to the one who should be both king and priest. It is said "he will be a priest on his throne" (v. 13).

This is one of those prophecies in which nearly every word is important. In the Hebrew text the prophecy begins "Behold the man," (v.12) the very words Pilate used to present the beaten Christ to the people of Jerusalem. On the occasion referred to in Zechariah it is not the humiliated Christ who is in view; it is Christ triumphant. The next key word is "Branch." It occurred earlier (in 3:8), but here its significance is expounded. He will have a small and insignificant beginning but will in time "branch out from his place" and dominate the world. Next we are told that He will "build the temple."

{Cf. Restoration Scriptures}
Another amazing prophecy of the Cohen HaGadol named Yahshua, anointed by YHVH to rebuild the temple of YHVH.

In Eph. 2, we find this fulfilled as Yahoshua the Moshiach builds His temple, with stones from both houses, fitly framed together. Even the words "see the man" is right from the evangels and were pronounced by Pilate.

Revelation 5 - 6: Praise and Response to Judgment

First a question: Who is worthy to open the seals? Where is Messiah? I would like to submit to you that he is on the tree at the beginning of chapter 5 (and possibly in Chapter 4)

it is His death and resurrection that qualifies Him as the One Who is Worthy, and therefore is able to take the scroll - Which evokes praise -

The scroll is the "title-deed" to creation that was forfeited by sin in Genesis. By his redeeming death Christ has won the authority to reclaim the earth.
Another study finds the scroll to be the Torah (Lucetta Mowry,
"Revelation 4-5 and Early Christian Liturgical Usage," JBL. 71 [1952], 75-84).

The Messiah, is the executor of the purposes of God and the heir of the inheritance of the world. He obtained this by his substitutionary and propitiatory death on the cross (5:9).

As John looked to see the mighty Lion (the conquering warrior-Messiah from the
Root of David), he saw instead the striking figure of a "Lamb" as if it had been slaughtered, -- "As if it had been slain" could refer to the "marks of death" the living Lamb still bore

The Lamb's act calls forth three hymns of praise (vv.9, 12, 13)
· 1) four creature and 24 elders (28)
· 2) addition of angels (myriads)
· 3) all of creation

Note the progression of the praise -
· 1) Why He is worthy vv. 9-10
· 2) cf. Php 2 - what he is worthy of in v. 12
· 3) therefore all creation now returns to Him blessing, honor, glory, dominion

Chapter 6
The first four seals are distinct from the last two in that they describe four horses of different colors with four riders who are given different powers over the earth.

Background for the imagery of these four seals reflect Zechariah 6:1-8. In Zechariah's visions the horsemen and chariots are divine instruments of judgment

This may also be the best interpretation of the horses and their riders in Revelation 6, where each is sent by Christ through the instrumentality of the living creatures.


The two responses:

THE MARTYRS (6:9-11). {ie. The Faithful Servents of YHVH}
When the Old Testament priest presented an animal sacrifice, the victim's blood was poured out at the base of the brazen altar (Lev. 4:7, 18, 25, 30) Blood represents life (Lev 17.11) So here in Revelation, the souls of the martyrs "under the altar" indicates that their lives were given sacrificially to the glory of God.

These saints were slain by the enemy because of their witness to the truth of God (Word / Torah) and the message (testimony) of Yeshua - cf. 14.12 - overcomers who have persevered - even unto death

The martyrs recognize that vengence is a function of YHVH (cf. vengence is mine - Dt. 32.35-36; Rom 12.19)

The question was not whether their enemies would be judged, but when. "How long, 0 Lord?" has been the cry of God's suffering people throughout the ages. (See Pss. 94:1-3)

THE EARTH-DWELLERS (6:12-17). (Carnal mankind)
The martyrs cried, "Avenge us!" but the unbelievers on earth will ciy, "Hide us!"

The opening of the sixth seal will produce worldwide convulsions and catastrophes, including the first of three great earthquakes (6:12; 11:13; 16:18-19). All of nature will be affected: the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the heavens, the mountains, and the islands.

People will try to hide from the face of God and from the face of the Lamb! They will try to hide themselfes in caves and among the mountains and cry "fall on us and hide us from Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!"