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Why does it matter how Israel’s first high priest, Aaron, and his sons were dressed, as described in great detail in Torah section תצוה Tetzaveh (“you shall command,” Exodus 27:20–30:10)? Is it merely for drawing attention to the wearer? No. We are to remember as we study about the High Priest is that every description of the High Priest is a description of the Messiah. Everytime you see read about someone being anointed with oil, that is a picture of the Messiah.
As we’ll see in this study of Zechariah 14, Ezekiel 43 and Revelation 21, a repeating lesson is the Tabernacle/Temple altar is key to how we will live with the Mashiakh Yeshua (Christ Jesus), not only the “Lion of Judah” but also the “Lion of God.”
“You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.” (Exodus 27:20 NASB)
The meaning of the Hebrew word that is translated as continually doesn’t mean continually as we understand it in English: nonstop. Rather, this menorah (lampstand) is to maintained regularly. Just as we celebrate the LORD’s festivals regularly, we don’t literally celebrate them 24/7.
Why does it matter how Aaron and his sons are dressed? Is it merely for drawing attention to the wearer? No. We are to remember as we study about the High Priest is that every description of the High Priest is a description of the Messiah. Ever-time you see read about someone being anointed with oil, that is a picture of the Messiah.
This section (Exodus 28:6–14) talks about the High Priest’s garments, but this time I want to focus on the stones adorning those garments. What stones? We dont’ really know what most of these stones are, the English translations from the Hebrew are a guess.
What does Messiah carry as a burden on His shoulders? He is not carrying their sins, transgressions and iniquities. He carries the needs of His people His shoulders.
The children were listed according to their names. God created the birthright so it is important to Him. He is a God of order, not chaos. Check out the description of the breastpiece (Exodus 28:15–29).
“’Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.’” (Exodus 28:29 NASB)
Each child has a unique part of his or her parent’s heart and the High Priest carries the children of Israel as on his heart when he approaches God.
“You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.” (Exodus 28:30 NASB)
The Urim and Thummim are representative of reconciliation. God uses truth and light to tutor us and reconcile us to Himself. It shows what needs to be fixed for reconciliation to be complete.
No one has any clue about how they worked. There are a lot of guesses but we don’t really know. What we do know is they were used to communicate with God and to receive answers from Him.
It was to be used to answer difficult questions such as unsolved murders (Deuteronomy 17) or difficult decisions as to whether to go to war.
God said if He gave an answer through the Urim and Thummim, the instruction must be followed without deviation. Once you ask for God’s instruction, you need to follow His words exactly without deviating.
“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, ‘Holy to the LORD.’” (Exodus 28:36 NASB)
Altar = ‘Lion of God’ and ‘mountain of God’
Where else does this appear? Let’s go to Zechariah 14:16–21. When the Bible repeats a phrase, it’s because it’s tying them together.
Aaron is set aside with the phrase “Holy to the LORD” on his head. But in Zechariah, everything in the entire city of Jerusalem is labeled “Holy to the LORD.” How does the holiness that was originally transferred to one man be transferred to everything in Jerusalem. How can the holiness spread out like this from the individual to everyone who enters Jerusalem, even the horses. The horse, which is an unclean animal, will be as clean and holy as the High Priest Himself.
The answer is in today’s Haftarah Tetzaveh portion: Ezekiel 43:10–27.
“’The [Ari-el har-El] shall be four cubits; and from the altar hearth shall extend upwards four horns. Now the [Ari-el har-El] shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.’” (Ezekiel 43:15–16 NASB)
Ariel har-El means “The Lion of God, the Mountain of God,” notes scholar Nehemia Gordon. Translating this into English as “altar” is obscuring the power of this text. The actual Hebrew word for altar is mizbeach.
What is the Mountain of God? It’s Mt. Horeb aka Mt. Sinai. When God appeared there, His fire was so hot, it literally burned rocks. It appeared as a burning hearth. He is a consuming fire.
Why did God give the “altar health” this title? We will find out in Isaiah. In Isa. 29:1-12, God gives the city of Jerusalem the name Ariel, the same name He later gives to His altar. God is connecting His altar to the city of Jerusalem by giving them the same name.
God is putting His own fire out. He will quench it and put it to sleep. God took out His temple and His city, it was truly empty for like 70 years when Nebuchadnezzar came and the Babylonians burned it all down.
Revelation 21: Priest’s breastplate parallels New Jerusalem
The precious stones in the gates and foundation of the New Jerusalem are akin to the breastpiece the had the 12 names of the Tribes of Israel, which are close to the Messiah’s heart (Revelation 21:9–22).
“I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” (Revelation 21:22 NASB)
If there is no Temple, what is Jerusalem? The entire city becomes God’s temple, and everything in is holy. But we will be allowed to enter. If we are allowed to enter it, we are allowed to enter God’s holy space, which used to be the domain of the high priest. Millions or even billions of people will be allowed to enter this holy space.
When God explains that Ariel, this great Lion of God is the same as Jerusalem and He makes His altar which used to be the size of the table, encompass the entire city of Jerusalem.
“The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:24–27 NASB)
The nations will bring their best to the city. His altar is the entire city. The people in it and every single item in it, even the common cooking pots will be holy to the Lord.
Although we don’t sacrifice animals, we still give our best to God, that glory and honor continually goes to God. Those who are not honorable or willing to give God their best, will not enter the holy city. To enter in, all your issues will be brought to light and be reconciled to God. Then you will be able to enter into the holy presence of God.
God’s altar is perfectly square, just as the New Jerusalem is perfectly square, it was built that way on purpose. The tabernacle in the wilderness was a rectangle but its altar was square. God’s eye here is on the altar.
We are to take our sins and burn them up on the altar every time. God speaks to in symbols with pictures, not in plain words.
We give our glory and honor to God at the altar, but we also give our corrections to God at the altar, too. We do this with our words and actions.
We are all on that altar, in that altar. We all want to be there. It’s part of where we will live with the Lion of God.
Summary: Tammy