THE BLEEDING TEMPLE
by Jeremy Chance Springfield
9/2/17
Scriptural worship is a bloody, violent event. The entirety of the Biblical account is framed in the border of the blood of sacrifices offered to the Holy One. From Genesis to Revelation, man’s worship of the Creator is defined by a rubicund rite: the Living One must be approached with the blood of an innocent life to cover the sin of the offending party.
It is unpleasant, unsanitary, and yet, it is the ordained adulation we are to bring before Him. Modern man might find such method macabre and distasteful. This is not unexpected. In this day and time, removed by our refining of cosmopolitan and civilized barriers, we do not appreciate the call of the Spirit in Scripture to worship by the shedding of blood. The sacrifices made at the Temple can be discussed in passing, mentioned in messages, but do not truly resonate within us in as real and meaningful a way as it should. People are limited in truly grasping the nature of such florid fellowship. True worship is visceral and raw, and is as profoundly personal as it is meant to be inclusive – in reaching inward and showing what is on the inside, we do so in front of those around in such a manner that we call them to join in with us on the intimate matter of linking this realm of the flesh to the realm of the Spirit.
Worship in Scripture is intrinsically linked to blood. The Holy Spirit decreed in His wisdom that animals should be sacrificed as we seek the restoration of unity with His Presence. Why is this? Scripture tells us in Leviticus 17:11 that the individual’s soul resides within the blood that flows in the veins. Typically translated as “life” in most English versions, the word in the inspired Hebrew text is literally NEFESH – “soul.” Thus, the shedding of blood in worship is a soul-matter, a thing that reveals the basest, most intimate aspect of who we are. The claret contribution of the life-blood of an animal speaks to the sincerest motive of the one offering – man, unable to offer himself upon the altar, can give no more serious of a gift than the soul of what innocent that has been entrusted to him.
It is unpleasant, unsanitary, and yet, it is the ordained adulation we are to bring before Him. Modern man might find such method macabre and distasteful. This is not unexpected. In this day and time, removed by our refining of cosmopolitan and civilized barriers, we do not appreciate the call of the Spirit in Scripture to worship by the shedding of blood. The sacrifices made at the Temple can be discussed in passing, mentioned in messages, but do not truly resonate within us in as real and meaningful a way as it should. People are limited in truly grasping the nature of such florid fellowship. True worship is visceral and raw, and is as profoundly personal as it is meant to be inclusive – in reaching inward and showing what is on the inside, we do so in front of those around in such a manner that we call them to join in with us on the intimate matter of linking this realm of the flesh to the realm of the Spirit.
Worship in Scripture is intrinsically linked to blood. The Holy Spirit decreed in His wisdom that animals should be sacrificed as we seek the restoration of unity with His Presence. Why is this? Scripture tells us in Leviticus 17:11 that the individual’s soul resides within the blood that flows in the veins. Typically translated as “life” in most English versions, the word in the inspired Hebrew text is literally NEFESH – “soul.” Thus, the shedding of blood in worship is a soul-matter, a thing that reveals the basest, most intimate aspect of who we are. The claret contribution of the life-blood of an animal speaks to the sincerest motive of the one offering – man, unable to offer himself upon the altar, can give no more serious of a gift than the soul of what innocent that has been entrusted to him.
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For the soul of the flesh is in its blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar for a covering upon your souls, for it is the blood that covers the soul.
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Furthermore, the Spirit set up a place in Jerusalem whereby His worshipers could enter His Presence with these crimson sacrifices and engage Him individually and as a nation. The holy Temple was erected as the edifice upon which blood would be shed, and Adam’s sons would find atonement. Built within the city of Jerusalem, the Temple stood as a sanguine sanctuary where His Spirit accepted the sacrifices of His people. There, the blood of these offerings would show the sincerity of our true worship. It is not just a small drop of blood that we are called to offer in its hallowed walls, either, but the entirety of a creature’s blood is presented to Him in the Temple’s worship event!
The book of Leviticus is the central book of the Torah, the five books of Moses, what Scripture constantly refers to when it says “the Word of God,” and it is focused entirely on how we are to worship the Holy One. The laws that govern worship involving sacrifice are quite explicit: blood is to be offered to the Most High.
For instance, if a priest sins in ignorance of the commandments, Leviticus 4:7 plainly states what is to be done with the blood of the sacrifice offered:
The book of Leviticus is the central book of the Torah, the five books of Moses, what Scripture constantly refers to when it says “the Word of God,” and it is focused entirely on how we are to worship the Holy One. The laws that govern worship involving sacrifice are quite explicit: blood is to be offered to the Most High.
For instance, if a priest sins in ignorance of the commandments, Leviticus 4:7 plainly states what is to be done with the blood of the sacrifice offered:
And the priest shall place some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense, towards the face of YHWH, which is in the Tabernacle of Appointed Time, and all the blood of the bull shall be poured at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tabernacle of Appointed Time.
Here we see that the blood of a bull is to be offered in the worship event of a priest who accidentally sinned by breaking the Torah. Not just some of the blood, but all the blood is to be given in the act of worship. While the amount might vary individually according to weight and build, a full-grown bovine generally has around ten (10) gallons of blood circulating through its body. A small portion is commanded to be placed upon the horns of the altar, but the majority would be poured at the base. This would be a significant amount, and not something that could easily be missed by all worshiper’s present. Blood meant everyone knew worship had occurred.
A similar event is commanded if the entire congregation sins in ignorance, as Leviticus 4:18 explains (4:14 specifies a young bull).
A similar event is commanded if the entire congregation sins in ignorance, as Leviticus 4:18 explains (4:14 specifies a young bull).
And some of the blood he shall place upon the horns of the altar which is towards the face of YHWH, which is in the Tabernacle of Appointed Time, and all the blood shall be poured at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tabernacle of Appointed Time.
Although somewhat smaller of an animal than a full-grown bull, a calf would still produce a significant amount of blood to be presented at the altar, and the pouring out of such would signal to all attending in the courtyard of the Temple that the act of worship had taken place.
The text of Leviticus 4:25 goes on to tell us that if a ruler of the people sins in ignorance, blood is to be brought from a sacrifice of a kid of the goats (specified in 4:23):
The text of Leviticus 4:25 goes on to tell us that if a ruler of the people sins in ignorance, blood is to be brought from a sacrifice of a kid of the goats (specified in 4:23):
And the priest shall take from the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and shall place it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and his blood he shall pour at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
This amount of blood would be considerably less than that of a bull or a calf, but it would still be enough to stand out among the worshipers in the Temple. A typical sheep or goat has about four (4) gallons of blood coursing through their system, so a young of that species would have somewhat less, yet the amount would remain impressive.
Finally, the Torah in Leviticus 4:30 mentions what happens if a common person sins in ignorance, which is essentially the same as the above scenario (4:28 specifies a kid of a goat):
Finally, the Torah in Leviticus 4:30 mentions what happens if a common person sins in ignorance, which is essentially the same as the above scenario (4:28 specifies a kid of a goat):
And the priest shall take from its blood with his finger, and shall place it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all its blood he shall pour at the base of the altar.
These are very basic details of the sacrifices the Holy Spirit called us to perform as His people in the Temple. Blood is absolutely linked to worship, so that which flows from our sacrifices is given to Him as an unquestionable sign of our sincerity. The daily sacrifices offered upon the altar, added to what would be presented by the penitent as they were led to worship, would result in a flow of fluid from the veins of the animals. It would be a serious amount of blood that would be poured out upon His altar. This is not even factoring in the festival days of His holy times. The Temple was a place of blood, but at no time was it more so than during the holy days commanded by Torah. Scripture is clear as to what is to be offered up during the MOEDIM (Appointed Times / festivals) in addition to the daily sacrifices regularly coloring the altar. The inclusion of further sacrifices for festival days meant that much more blood would be offered up in the worship of the Holy One.
In fact, the bloodiest worship events in the Temple occur during the Spring festival of Passover and the Fall festival of Tabernacles. Many, many animals are sacrificed on those days. The festival of Tabernacles has the most Scripturally-commanded sacrifices of the two holy times (see Numbers 29:12-34), but it is Passover that ends up surpassing Tabernacles when the offering of the Passover lambs by all the heads of Israelite families in the country is factored into the count. An incredible amount of blood is poured out during the two events, but the most astonishing flow unquestionably happens at Passover.
When the lambs that signify redemption from bondage in Egypt are offered up piecemeal in the Temple courtyard on Passover, the volume of blood poured forth is almost unimaginable to us far removed from such event. Indeed, in one day, in a matter of hours, so many lambs would be slaughtered in the Temple grounds that one might think the place would be a bloodbath. In truth, such a suggestion is not far from reality.
When the lambs that signify redemption from bondage in Egypt are offered up piecemeal in the Temple courtyard on Passover, the volume of blood poured forth is almost unimaginable to us far removed from such event. Indeed, in one day, in a matter of hours, so many lambs would be slaughtered in the Temple grounds that one might think the place would be a bloodbath. In truth, such a suggestion is not far from reality.
Many of the sacrifices offered upon the altar at the Temple would have parts given to the priests to be eaten. Although portions would be burnt up in the fire atop the altar, other pieces could be doled out to the priests to consume as one who was linked-to and depended on the Most High for sustenance. This factor entails a unique necessity. The information is preserved for us in Deuteronomy 12:14-16.
14 For in the place which YHWH shall select in one of your tribes, there you lift up your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all which I command you.
15 Only, with the desire of every soul, you shall kill and shall eat flesh with the blessing of YHWH your Elohim, which He gave to you in all your gates; the unclean and the clean shall eat, like a gazelle and like a deer.
16 Only, the blood you shall not eat; Over the earth you shall pour it, like water.
15 Only, with the desire of every soul, you shall kill and shall eat flesh with the blessing of YHWH your Elohim, which He gave to you in all your gates; the unclean and the clean shall eat, like a gazelle and like a deer.
16 Only, the blood you shall not eat; Over the earth you shall pour it, like water.
The detail mentioned here of significance is found at the end: “over the earth you shall pour it, like water.” The command in this verse is to pour the blood of what was to be eaten on the ground, as the word for “earth” here in the Hebrew is HA’ARETZ, meaning “ground, soil.” The issue with the Temple worship service was that the Temple was a constructed building, and it possessed a floor not of earth, but stone. In similar manner, the base of the altar was one of stone, so that the detail of Deuteronomy 12:14-16 would absolutely need to be met in some manner.
This need for the blood of the worship service to be poured both at the base of the altar as well as upon the soil of the earth was accomplished by the work of an ingenious system of pits under the altar in the Temple courtyard. The pit drainage system is referred to in the Hebrew writings as SHITHIN (“sheetheen”). It is almost universally pronounced as SHISSIN “sheeseen” in the plural by Judaism, and as SHITH as the singular. Henceforth in the study, I will refer to the pits using these two versions. The blood of the sacrifices would be poured at the base of the altar, fulfilling the Torah’s repeated command, and then that blood would trickle down the underground SHISSIN to true soil of the earth, far below, thus also fulfilling the command of the Torah!
These pits are never mentioned in the text of inspired Scripture, to be sure, but it is a confirmed historical fact that the SHISSIN were part of the Temple construction. Archaeologists have uncovered portions of these chambers in different excavations even in recent modern efforts, proving the legitimacy of their existence. It is in the presence of these pits under the altar that a profound truth will ultimately come to be seen about the bloody act of true worship and the real price of redemption.
This need for the blood of the worship service to be poured both at the base of the altar as well as upon the soil of the earth was accomplished by the work of an ingenious system of pits under the altar in the Temple courtyard. The pit drainage system is referred to in the Hebrew writings as SHITHIN (“sheetheen”). It is almost universally pronounced as SHISSIN “sheeseen” in the plural by Judaism, and as SHITH as the singular. Henceforth in the study, I will refer to the pits using these two versions. The blood of the sacrifices would be poured at the base of the altar, fulfilling the Torah’s repeated command, and then that blood would trickle down the underground SHISSIN to true soil of the earth, far below, thus also fulfilling the command of the Torah!
These pits are never mentioned in the text of inspired Scripture, to be sure, but it is a confirmed historical fact that the SHISSIN were part of the Temple construction. Archaeologists have uncovered portions of these chambers in different excavations even in recent modern efforts, proving the legitimacy of their existence. It is in the presence of these pits under the altar that a profound truth will ultimately come to be seen about the bloody act of true worship and the real price of redemption.
Judaism itself has some novel traditions as to how the SHISSIN were first fashioned. The initial tradition of their creation is discussed in the Talmud, in tractate Sukkah 49a, we see mention of them and a particularly intriguing use of the Song of Songs 7:2 (7:1 in English versions) that is brought forth by the rabbis in attempt to prove the Most High was responsible for their formation. The text of the Song of Songs is viewed in Judaism as a very symbolic testament to the relationship between the Holy One and His people, and the intimacy He desires of us. Thus, it would initially seem odd to try to force a meaning of the text to that of a simple drainage construction system found in the Temple. What is going on? Perhaps the Spirit was leading them to this connection because something deeper is involved with the necessity that the Temple possess these specific pits in the way that they do? It is my belief that they were indeed catching a glimpse of their importance in the divine plan of the Most High. Let us proceed and see how it all works out.
The passage continues by adding the assertion of another rabbinic school of thought that sought to reinterpret the very first word in all of Scripture to reference the SHISSIN. The first term in Genesis 1:1 is the Hebrew word BERESHITH, meaning “in-beginning,” which is the prefix BE attached to the term REYSHITH, meaning “head / beginning.” The Talmud here suggests the term rather be understood as BARA SHITH = “He created a pit.” Out of the waters of primordial creation event, Judaism thus tells us that the Creator was responsible for the formation of these special pits that would factor into His worship so many generations later.
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The secondary part of their tradition ascribes their subsequent discovery to a miraculous event in the life of King David. In the Talmud, tractate Sukkah 53a, we read that as he prepared the foundation of the Temple in Jerusalem, he dug out the pits to deal with the inevitable inflow of blood from the sacrifices that were to be offered up inside it. His digging accidentally opened the ancient SHISSIN that led to the deep, the waters of which were threatening to overflow and flood the land. By uttering spontaneously his famous Psalms of Ascent, the surging waters subsided, and thus the pits were emptied of water to take in the eventual blood of the sacrifices of worship.
Both accounts seem somewhat fanciful, but the important factor to take away is that these SHISSIN have indeed existed from antiquity, and their use was integral to the worship that occurred in the Temple courtyard with the bringing of the blood of countless sacrifices. They were viewed as being divinely-established at Creation, showing that the plan of the Most High somehow factored in the need for their presence from the foundation of the world. Their additional link to King David also shows that they are somehow invested with the actions of the King of Israel, for his deeds are said to have opened them up from the time of their formation in the waters of Creation. These two views are important to remember as we go forward in the study.
Both accounts seem somewhat fanciful, but the important factor to take away is that these SHISSIN have indeed existed from antiquity, and their use was integral to the worship that occurred in the Temple courtyard with the bringing of the blood of countless sacrifices. They were viewed as being divinely-established at Creation, showing that the plan of the Most High somehow factored in the need for their presence from the foundation of the world. Their additional link to King David also shows that they are somehow invested with the actions of the King of Israel, for his deeds are said to have opened them up from the time of their formation in the waters of Creation. These two views are important to remember as we go forward in the study.
The oldest account of their actual use is preserved for us in the Greek text of the Letter of Aristeas, which claims to have been written from sometime between 281 to 246 BCE, but is likely a pseudographical text actually penned between 170 to 130 BCE. Nevertheless, there is no question as to the validity of the descriptions in it of the Temple at that time in history. An excerpt from that text has the author discussing the ingenuity that went into the construction of the 2nd Temple complex in Jerusalem. He clearly discusses the great work that went into being able to cleanse the floor of the Temple courtyard from the blood of the sacrifices of worship. Intricate water channels and an underground drainage system are described that dealt with the blood of the animals offered upon the altar.
Further mention is made of the SHISSIN in Jewish writings when we turn to the Mishnah, that document that predates the Talmud and deals so largely with Hebrew life and culture from the days when the Temple stood. In Mishnah Middot 3:2-3, it is recorded that there were two openings at the base of the altar, and into those two cavities drained the blood poured at the base down into the SHISSIN, where it tells us they emptied out into the Kidron brook. The Kidron brook is a small stream that runs in the Kidron valley on the eastern side of the city of Jerusalem, and descends southward from there towards the Dead Sea. A detail is also mentioned in the Mishnah's text of a place at the altar’s base that could be entered whereby this cavity could be cleaned. I shall return later to that particular detail to discuss the implications of it to this study.
This factor of the blood draining out from the Temple is elaborated upon in another part of the Mishnah, in Yoma 5:6, where it is stated that the blood of the sacrifices at the altar, when poured at the base, drains down into the SHISSIN and empties into the Kidron brook. The text adds a new detail to the narrative that it is then sold to gardeners as a fertilizing agent.
These several details take us back to the myriads of lambs offered on Passover in the Temple. The blood overflowing from the lambs slaughtered in the courtyard was poured out, but it did not drain immediately into the SHISSIN and down to the Kidron brook. Rather, there is a detail given by Rabbi Yehudah in the Talmud, tractate Pesachim 64a, that discusses a strange event that took place with the blood of the lambs on Passover that flooded the floor. In this tractate that is focused on the minutiae regarding the festival of Passover, we read the curious statement of Rabbi Yehudah (Judah the Prince, the compiler of the Mishnah), where he tells us that a cup would be filled from the blood of the Passover offerings that pooled over the floor of the courtyard. This small detail goes to show us how much blood was truly shed on that single holy day in the Temple!
Another detail in the quoted passage out of Pesachim 64a is the curious mention that the courtyard would be rinsed at Passover. What is the meaning of this detail? This brief, passing mention of rinsing the courtyard is linked right back to the very concept of worship itself, for although the Torah tells us specifically that the blood of the sacrifices is to be offered up at the altar, and the blood finally poured out at the base of that altar, there is a second detail preserved that sheds more light on the statement about the need for rinsing.
A few passages down, we read in Pesachim 65b that the drain holes at the base of the altar that normally kept the blood of the sacrifices from pooling were deliberately plugged during the holy day of Passover! This odd deed caused an already gory situation to become an almost unimaginably macabre scenario. The blood was not dealt with immediately by descending into the SHISSIN. It stayed in the courtyard, and with each successive slaughter of the lamb on Passover, the blood on the floor increased, until it was a vast pool covering the entire floor around the altar! The priests, unable to wear shoes while ministering, therefore walked barefoot in the blood of the Passover lambs.
A few passages down, we read in Pesachim 65b that the drain holes at the base of the altar that normally kept the blood of the sacrifices from pooling were deliberately plugged during the holy day of Passover! This odd deed caused an already gory situation to become an almost unimaginably macabre scenario. The blood was not dealt with immediately by descending into the SHISSIN. It stayed in the courtyard, and with each successive slaughter of the lamb on Passover, the blood on the floor increased, until it was a vast pool covering the entire floor around the altar! The priests, unable to wear shoes while ministering, therefore walked barefoot in the blood of the Passover lambs.
The Talmud tells us it is a laudable, praiseworthy thing for the priests to officiate on Passover while walking in blood. The priests would mindfully plug the drains that emptied into the SHISSIN under the altar and let the blood spilled from the veins of the Passover lambs slowly rise across the otherwise pristine stone floor of the Temple. To the modern mind, sanitized by a culture where death is rarely encountered first-hand, and blood is usually reserved for fictional depictions on film, the blatant crimson courtyard of the Temple on Passover would be a startling sight to see. The movement of priests as they walked, ankles deep in the red pool that covered the floor of the Temple, seems so alien to the idea of a Deity who longs to give mercy. But mercy must come at some price. It is given freely to the one in need, but is paid for elsewhere. In the case of the Temple, it would be the blood of the lambs poured out to symbolize the redemption of an entire people from Egypt so long before. The shallow crimson sheen covering the courtyard was testament to the price of redemption.
Thus, it would be at the end of the Passover offering, when all the lambs had been slaughtered and their blood poured out into a messy scene in the Temple, which happened right at the time of the usual evening offering (2:30pm-3pm), that the Temple would need cleansing. The priests would remove the plugs from the drain-holes leading to the SHISSIN at the base of the altar, and the gallons upon gallons of lamb’s blood would begin to descend into the pits. The water channel that fed the Temple Courtyard would then be opened, and the sudden influx of water pressure would flood the courtyard with fresh, cleansing liquid. The soul-laden blood of so many lambs would be rinsed from the Temple courtyard, down into the depths of the SHISSIN, where it would burst forth from its drain in a powerful gush of blood and water into the meager stream of the Kidron brook.
What is the purpose of all this bloody offering in the Temple? Why would the Holy One guide the hearts and minds of His people to stop up the drain system under the altar and allow the blood of so many lambs to overflow the courtyard in such a disgusting event? What would it gain the priests and the worshipers there to see the flood of blood and the inrush of water that swept it all away down into the SHISSIN and pour out so vigorously into the Kidron brook? Let us turn now back to Scripture and see the spiritual reason behind the historical tradition of the priesthood.
It was at this very time of day on one Passover afternoon in first century Israel that another bloody slaughtering had taken place. Not far from the blood-stained Temple grounds, just outside the city walls of Jerusalem, the Messiah had died a violent and bloody death as the true Passover Lamb, providing a redemption far greater than that secured so long before in Egypt. Inside the Temple, the water channel that fed the courtyard was being opened up and the gruesome blood of the day's events was being washed down into the SHISSIN, where it would pour out in great quantities into the Kidron. The book of John 19:33-34 tells us all we need to know about what happened next in the minutes after Yeshua's grisly death.
33 And when they came toward Yeshua, they saw that He was dead already, and they did not break His bones,
34 except one from the soldiers struck Him in His side with his spear, and at once flowed out blood and water.
The parallel is astonishing, isn’t it? After the lambs were finally all slain in the Temple courtyard, the priests removed the plugs on the SHISSIN cavities, and then opened the water channel to flood the courtyard and wash away the crimson trace of blood down into the drain. For all intents and purposes, it would appear to the observer outside the city that the Temple was bleeding! At the same time, the soldier pierced the side of Messiah’s dead body, and John records that something amazing happened – blood and water flowed from His side! Messiah performed true worship of the Holy One by offering Himself up on Passover. It was absolutely a bloody offering, with His bodily fluids poured out for our redemption.
The alignment is no coincidence. The Holy One guided the minds of His people to perform an action on Passover that would directly coincide with an event surrounding His only Son at His death. His wisdom is unsearchable. Even the setup of the Temple shows such alignment: the Temple is repeatedly linked to a human body in the Torah via the words used to describe it (see my study: THE TEMPLE BODY). The altar in the courtyard would directly correspond to the chest area of a person if the Temple were viewed from an aerial position. The blood and water flowing from the southeastern side of the Temple Mount into the Kidron brook would parallel the blood and water that flowed from the side of Messiah. In fact, the above text from John 19:34 tells us that the soldier pierced Yeshua’s “side” with a spear, and the Aramaic text there uses a word in that phrase that is interesting, because it sounds very much like another Aramaic word used to describe an altar made from organic material, like wood. Therefore, the Aramaic text could very easily make the reader link the thought of the spear piercing His “side” to the idea of the “altar” being pierced!
The blood and water flowing from His side is now seen as the entire purpose for the SHISSIN that existed underneath the Temple. Judaism, as mentioned previously in this study in the Talmud, saw in the SHISSIN a creation before the foundation of the world, just as Messiah is that Lamb slain from the world's foundation (see Revelation 13:8), showcasing for us the divine plan of redemption held in the heart of the Most High. Likewise, Judaism believes that it was the King of Israel, David, who was responsible for opening up those ancient SHISSIN to be used at last for the Temple, and it was the true King of Israel, who even had such royal title declared over Him at His death, that released the great fount of blood and water from the depth of His side.
The blood and water flowing from His side is now seen as the entire purpose for the SHISSIN that existed underneath the Temple. Judaism, as mentioned previously in this study in the Talmud, saw in the SHISSIN a creation before the foundation of the world, just as Messiah is that Lamb slain from the world's foundation (see Revelation 13:8), showcasing for us the divine plan of redemption held in the heart of the Most High. Likewise, Judaism believes that it was the King of Israel, David, who was responsible for opening up those ancient SHISSIN to be used at last for the Temple, and it was the true King of Israel, who even had such royal title declared over Him at His death, that released the great fount of blood and water from the depth of His side.
Messiah did not stay dead, though. His flawless obedience earned Him life everlasting, and He was resurrected three days later to life eternal in the flesh! Although He at first appeared to some of His students, Thomas was not present at that initial meeting, and so even with the insistence of his companions, the distraught and guilt-filled student refused to let his hopes rise above his despair. Unless he could experience Messiah for himself, he could not let his heart believe. Thus, it is that we read with gladness the words of John 20:24-28, where Yeshua removes all doubt from the disciple’s mind.
24 Yet Tawma, one from the twelve (he who is called “The Twin”), was not with there with them when Yeshua came.
25 And the students, they said to him, “We have seen our Master!” But he said to them, “If I do not see in His hands the positions of the nails, and I place into them my fingers, and I stretch forth my hands into His side, I do not believe.”
26 And after eight days, again were the students inside, and Tawma was with them. And Yeshua came while the doors were closed, standing in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you!”
27 And He said to Tawma, “Do bring your finger here, and see My hands. And do bring your hand, and stretch forth into My side, and do not be an unbeliever, but a believer!”
28 And Tawma replied, and said to Him, “My Master and my Deity!
With this special appearance and the call for Thomas to draw near and touch Him, Yeshua removed the doubt of His student in one tender moment. The beauty of the situation is magnified in the Aramaic text, for the word Yeshua uses to speak of His “side” is different than the one Thomas used. It is rather the phrase B’GABI in Aramaic, which, while meaning “into My side,” it could also just as legitimately mean “into My choice.” Such a word-play by Messiah to His hurting student spoke volumes: leave your guilt behind – it is washed away in the blood and water that sprang from His body. The offering was Messiah’s choice alone. The cross was His choice, His death by His own desire. The presence of water and blood also factors into this word-play and the astounding way of how He died in a biological sense, as well (see my study: A LIFE LAID DOWN). Guilt would gain nothing in the presence of the One who willingly offered Himself in worship to the Holy One.
The call to come and reach into Him was one of the most intimate things that any disciple has ever experienced. Of John it is written that he laid his head upon Messiah as they dined – a closeness not typically seen between rabbi and student. But Thomas is told here to reach in, to place his fingers into the wound on Messiah’s chest, where he surely would have felt the steady beat of Yeshua’s strong heart, the expansion of His lungs as He breathed in the room’s awe-filled atmosphere. This brought the disciple closer than ever before, where no doubt could survive.
This briefly-mentioned situation parallels something that the Talmud discusses in passing in tractate Sukkah 49a, where it speaks of a narrow passageway that was built in between the ramp and the altar in the Temple courtyard. That entrance led down into the depths of the SHISSIN, and into it would descend only once every seventy years a young priest (called a “blossom” in the Talmud). Once inside, he would reach beneath him and touch the sides of the pits, pulling out any congealed wine that was dried to the sides of the SHISSIN over the years, for the Torah decrees that wine be included in offerings (see Numbers 28:7), as well, and since it cannot be poured upon the fire atop the altar, lest it extinguish it, it was poured upon the altar into special receptacles that drained it into the SHISSIN. In this detail of the actions of the young priest, who would reach into the very heart of the Temple under the altar, we can see the actions of Thomas paralleled by reaching into the chest of Yeshua after His resurrection, being nearer the heart of the Messiah than was any other student!
This briefly-mentioned situation parallels something that the Talmud discusses in passing in tractate Sukkah 49a, where it speaks of a narrow passageway that was built in between the ramp and the altar in the Temple courtyard. That entrance led down into the depths of the SHISSIN, and into it would descend only once every seventy years a young priest (called a “blossom” in the Talmud). Once inside, he would reach beneath him and touch the sides of the pits, pulling out any congealed wine that was dried to the sides of the SHISSIN over the years, for the Torah decrees that wine be included in offerings (see Numbers 28:7), as well, and since it cannot be poured upon the fire atop the altar, lest it extinguish it, it was poured upon the altar into special receptacles that drained it into the SHISSIN. In this detail of the actions of the young priest, who would reach into the very heart of the Temple under the altar, we can see the actions of Thomas paralleled by reaching into the chest of Yeshua after His resurrection, being nearer the heart of the Messiah than was any other student!
Worship has always been about blood. The Most High demands of us the heart and soul of who we are, and the sacrifices of animals displays such give-all heart attitude that He demands of us. The messy, ugly work of true worship cannot be sugar-coated, and when we dare to throw ourselves into the truth of the matter, we can see past the gore and the macabre nature, and perceive the Holy One’s desire to bestow mercy upon us. By blood and water we worship and are made clean in His sight! The parallels of the bloodiest worship event of the year that Scripture commands and the death of the Messiah Yeshua show how steep the cost of true worship is for the redeemed.
All study contents Copyright Jeremy Chance Springfield, except for graphics and images, which are Copyright their respective creators.