behold the lamb of god by doug mitchell

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A study of the feminine sacrifices of ancient Judaism and their symbolic meaning in anti-type.

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  • t'B~bold;tlte:.mbotGod,'.. 'which:tak~thawa! 'thesiJl: oC:tb wQrld"

    John) ;2.9/36' .

    '. . '.,This statemt?nt.was. made byJohn theBaptistto.T~al~ttb~ .~.fu1fillIi1en~Qf.~IthaLthe law h.adprophesied of the prolli~d~r!fl~ fOt.tge .~itJSofman was.abourtotake place, for theOnewho waSprottI!sl~w~,~~'~Yd.idp, Jofu);_saybehold the "he-goat," or the "bulIC~"'Orthe.It:taint:~':or

    -: "''l.la. r..thatma.'tterthe. "ewe l.am.'.b" the "she.,goat "..th.ellpige.on,.~thel'tUrtled.O...~...e.tI....'.. .' .... '.' . .. . '. , .. '. . " '. . '...,?erthe "flour, II for these were alsomeans of atonement fO,l"sin., :' .

    .... ..: '.All ofth~ various. offetm~~ may .be, pl~ssified/in a few differetltcategorieS- burntofferip.gs, sin ()ff~rine;S',o:espQS$'(guilt)'?ffering8>peace( or .thanksgiving) of'feririgs. They eai1'a}strqe,4ividinto tVieotheT.c~teg6rlos '-:'1jegillat and special. Theregillar offerinSS were.made at appointedtiines oftbe ';(ia,y, ,week" months, and years The' :sl'ecial. Offerings were made., as" circumstances arose which called ,for thea ,use~.' . .

    " .'All of the'mammals u~d;a~ bu11i/~fferings~re~jar Qf .pecia/, w.ere"toh~m"les. The regular sin offedngs wer~~e,.goats only, ~hileili.e spec/alsin.offerings 'consisted of lie-goats, ~ulloe~, female, la,mbs or goats, pigeons;utledoves, and, in one,instance only, 'a, male "lamb:,'1 that bein~ inthecleansirtg from leprosy. Leprosy, with.'its decay -.and potentially "deadlyc()llsequences, the suffering caused by it, and separation from one's fellowman,.istruIya symbol or sin, iI,lgeneral,'but not of speciflc sins. When Jesus.died on the-cross He did so for the sins.ofall, in all ages, in general, thus,takinga",ay the sin (theOleprosy)of the world. .

    As marv~lous as ,thjs is, though, the main. ceremonies Wherein wererevealed the ~ale "Lamb of God wlii,cb tai

  • what we should pray for as we should. But the Spirit Herself pleads on ourbehalf with groanings too deep for words. And the One searching the heartsknows what the Spirit is thinking since Her pleadings for the saintsharmonize with God's purposes." (Romans 8:26,27) - a literal translationincluding the Hebrew and Aramaic gender usage. Without taking in accountthe original gender of the Hebrew language the feminine sacrifices cannot beproperly understood. Nor can they be properly discerned without theunderstanding that She, the Holy Spirit, is "as much a Person as God is aPerson."

    "If any man sin, we have an Advocate (Paraclete, in Greek) with theFather, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2: 1). Jesus said, "I will. pray theFather, and He shall give you another Comforter (Paraclete)." (John 14: 16).Two Paracletes, Advocates, Comforters - one male, one female - Christ andthe Holy Ghost* .

    *Note - we have used the term "Holy Ghost" here rather than "HolySpirit" to correspond to its usage in the King James version of the NewTestament. The reason for this usage is explained in our study >

    "And Gods (the word is plural in Hebrew) said, Let us make man inour image, after our likeness: ... So Gods created man in his own image, in theimage of Gods created he him; male and female created he them." Genesis1:26, 27. "The invisible things of him from the creation of the world areclearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternalpower and Godhead ... " Romans 1:20

    By this verse, by nature, by the gender of the Hebrew words which areused to depict the Godhead, and by the male and female sacrifices we mayclearly see that our creation as gendered beings is of divine design to teach useternal truths. Just as males and females each have distinct characteristics, sodoes each gender draw from us a different response when they intercede forus. When a father, a brother, a male friend, or a husband speaks on our behalf,or lays his life on the line for us, our attitude is different from that when amother, a sister, a female friend, or a wife does the same.

    "Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the day ofredemption." (Ephesians 4:30).

    Our sins "grieve," wound, the Holy Spirit, as they do the wholeGodhead, and it requires that they all pour out their "Life" (symbolized by theblood of the various sacrifices) for our redemption. "For the life of the fleshis in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement

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    for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."(Leviticus 17:11) The blood of the female offerings symbolizes the "Life" ofthe Holy Spirit given as an ever-living sacrifice for our salvation, ourrestoration.

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    The intercession ofthefemale lamb or goat for sins done in ignorancewas available for those of the community of Israel, as well as the strangersamong them. But under the law of Moses (the old Covenant), there was noprovision for sins done with a high hand - presumptuously (Numbers 15:28-31).Under the new Covenant, though, it is written, "Wherefore I say unto you,All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but theblasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men .." Matthew12:3l.

    This doesn't mean that now one can now sin with a "high hand" andstill receive forgiveness. But it places the matter on better promises. That is,the old Covenant was based on the promises of the people, whereas the NewCovenant is based on the promises of God through Christ.

    When ancient Israel made their promise to God to obey the terms ofthe covenant, they were not personally aware that they could not of their ownkeep the covenant. But under the New Covenant the terms of the peoples'standing is clearly delineated - "ye must be born again." A good example ofthis is in the experience of Nicodemus. He was a leader in Israel, and one whohad been seeking of his own power to keep the covenant. But the words ofJesus awoke a reality within him which he previously did not understand - hisunregenerated earthly nature with which he was born and which was at enmitywith the movings of the Holy Spirit. Though he certainly came to recognizethe workings of his unsanctified heart, he knew of no cure for it until Jesuspointed him to the higher way. Jesus said,

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    "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father,and he shall give you another Comforter, that he [She] may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because itseeth him [Her] not, neither knoweth him [Her]: butye know him [Her];for he [She] dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave youcomfortless: I will come to you." John 14:15-18 [the words in brackets aretranslations from the Hebrew and Aramaic which Jesus actually spoke to Hislisteners, rather than from the Greek translation of His words].

    Additionally, the word translated "comfortless" means "orphans." Inorder for Jesus not to leave us as orphans He would have to send us a parentalGuardian. As the words he spoke regarding the Holy Spirit were feminine,then the One whom He intended to send would be like a comforting,

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  • interceding Mother - "the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."Romans 8:15.

    In the daily burnt offering of the male lambs which were offeredmorning and evening Jesus is revealed in His daily ministration of theintercession of His "Life" (blood) for us - His righteousness being accepted asa substitute for our unrighteousness - our sins in general. In general, becausethere was no confession of specific sins involved with the burnt offering. Thusit is revealed that by means of His sacrifice and atoning blood His Life isimputed daily to our records whereby we all may continue living rather thandying immediately for our sins and those of our forefathers and foremothers(Exodus 34:7). A true realization of the meaning of the daily burnt offeringsalso provides the means whereby we may obtain the humility of mind andheart whereby we may avoid sinning. This happens through an impartation ofHis life within us - "a well of water springing up into everlasting life" John4: 14.Yet there is another aspect to this provision of our consecration which isrevealed in other of the typical sacrifices

    Beholding the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and daily in the heavenlySanctuary in the daily burnt offering (male lambs), in antitype, keeps(consecrates) His people from falling by keeping the cross "fresh" in ourmemories, thereby taking away the sin of the world. Beholding the female sinoffering, the Holy Ghost (and the blood - the Life given), in antitype, restoresone who has had a specific sin come to mind, or who has fallen into sinignorantly. It is the Holy Spirit who is first sinned against when a believerfalls. She is the One who keeps the cross of Jesus fresh in the mind of thebeliever, and imparts the power to keep one from falling. This is also true ofeveryone who is born into this world, for it is written of Jesus that He "was thetrue Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9).It is likewise true that from the innocence of birth "all have sinned, and comeshort of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). Thus the need for rebirth (John3:7).

    It is this truth that is taught in the feminine sacrifices. When onecomes to Christ, and there receives forgiveness and cleansing, he also receivesthe Holy Spirit by which to keep from falling. Ifhe were to fall into sin again,it would first be necessary to push away the influence of the Holy Spirit, forone cannot sin while abiding in the Spirit. This hurts, wounds, the Holy Spirit,a divine Person.

    It is written that the purpose of giving us the Holy Spirit is that Shemay lead us into "all truth (John 16: 13). In doing this we naturally areregularly newly reminded of the higher standards to which we may obtain.Thus as we grow we also learn of our need for cleansing from our old ways.

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    In the'regUlar round ofceremoniesintercessipIt'for'tbese peri~ .of~Owth'were-supplied in the ordinanc~cof~observtiiiqtlofthe:new mOons~At these'tintes a l'eguitil' sin offering.wa~ providec.t ~r said purpose. Itw~s tit th~tin\e9fth~e cyclical. ~vents(whicha{e feminin~ in nature) that the peoplewe~to

    . be brou~t into 9onmCt~th th~ prophets of God who were to teach them ofthe higher thin~~ of God as they would befreshlr reveal~ by th~Holy ~pirit.Thus again we. see th~'work of orfemhdrie, In.tetcessor in leadin,g us into alltruth. .' . ,'. , '. .'.', .. ' ',' ,

    ',.'.',The Ewe l-~b atQn~s for$9Is of ignorance CODlffiitledby any of the: oomm~m people. The1l1ale,offe~iilgs.are for'sis ofi~Qrance 90tntnitted.Qy apriest()rrul~~ But tbe,e.is no nieans pf' fotgiven~ss in the law ~f Mose%Jot.sins do4e with a'! ,highh~dfl, ~ sinS done presumpru,ously. .

    ,- '.- - .. - " -, .. ",' -,

    '"the Je}V~said thatthey "saw~',When they did not know that the!. didnot see: Theyaqted inthei~blindrtess.Of some thebl~dJle~ wasintentiOl}ally,self-milicted"Ofothet$it waS by dec~ption. Those wbolatter. inhumi1ity,realized thattheydidn:~ttrulysee were redeeinea~ Thosewho, clung to theirpresumption that they. ~i(Undeed;,$ee werelost, They ha4 sinnedin i~orance,but did not later ticcept the proyided Sacritice (male or femAleHo i~terced.eforthem when theirsiname to thirmirid; They did 'not let the pOwer:oftheHolyGhost restore them. . ,

    Grieve not Her (the Holy Ghost)' whereby ye are sealed for She says,"He thai sinne~ ageinstMe wrongei~ihis own soul: all: that hate' Me lovedeath." Proverbs 8:31. Read all of Proverbs 8. '

    1':'" , "",..... , .. ' ; .... ,.'

    .:There is ,ptortHo be said ,of ilia female Qfferings ~;ewe lambs, femalelambs, and goats, the r~d heifer; and the 'female bird. of the "p~ir~ {)fbirds;There, is .likewise more which can be said. about: the us~ of the :worQs'HolySpirit and llolytlhostin the KingJam~sversion~ Mostallthtit i~',attributedtoMary hyihe Ca~lic Church is a cle~er.counterfeit of the truth of~HolyGbost and Her intercession (cOinforting)f()rus. The~e things tire addressed inother of our studies. By the Spirit; seek fo" the t:rttth of this 'yourself and see.

    .Doug Mitchell

    The-Branch

    ".;'.', P.O. Bo.XJ004 .,/Kin.gsland. Texas 78639. " . '.., . . ~email: irif.e-branch;org

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    Page 1Page 2Titles" .' All of the'mammals u~d;a~ bu11i/~fferings~re~jar Qf .pecia/, w.ere " ., .: ,.' .' "'WhatbasJ)ee~l;mysteryt()' ~ gfe8tmanyisth8tthe~,n otf~g forthe (~~ardless of the degre~k .',. - t'B~bold;tlte:.mbotGod,' . . 'which:tak~th awa! ' thesiJl: oC:tb wQrld"

    Page 3Titles1 1

    Page 4Titles.sins do4e with a'! ,highh~dfl, ~ sinS done presumpru,ously. . ".;'.' , P.O. Bo.XJ004 . ,/Kin.gsland. Texas 78639 7