Was Messiah Sanctified As High Priest According To The Prescribed Manner?

 

Yeshua is our High Priest and mediator of the new covenant as Hebrews chapter 4 through 9 talks extensively about. This fact brings up a question— since He became our High Priest, did our Messiah follow His own law for the sanctification of the High Priest according to the prescribed manner for Aaron and his sons?

It would seem logical as He gave Moses detailed instructions for consecrating Aaron and his sons, nothing that God does is random— everything has a purpose. When it comes to the ceremonial law it is a shadow to help us understand the reality of the spiritual.

The first instructions given for the consecration of the priests is found in Exodus chapter 29. There is so much in this chapter that it is beyond the scope of this study, most of it will have to be a topic for another day. But to answer my question, I want to focus on the aspect that can give us an answer, that is, the length of time the priests had to stay in the tabernacle of meeting for their consecration. If Messiah’s timeline can fit it perfectly we would have a pretty strong case affirming that He did, so let’s take a look!

In Ex. 29:29-30 we read: “And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them. 30 That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for seven days, when he enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the holy place.”

Down a few verses in Ex. 29:35 we read: “Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them.”

These commands are reiterated in Leviticus chapter 8 during the actual ceremony.

 Lev. 8:31-36 “And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, ‘Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of consecration offerings, as I commanded, saying, “Aaron and his sons shall eat it.” 32 ‘What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire. 33 And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended. For seven days he shall consecrate you. 34 As he has done this day, so the LORD has commanded to do, to make atonement for you. 35 Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of meeting day and night for seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.’ 36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses.”

Here we can see that the consecration process began with them entering the tabernacle of meeting. Aaron and his sons under no circumstances could leave the tabernacle for the full seven days of their consecration. As Leviticus chapter 9 continues, after the full seven days were completed, on the eighth day Moses called them out (Lev. 9:1). It was on that same day (the eighth day of their consecration) that God appeared to the people (Lev. 9:4,6).

We can pick it up in Lev. 9:22-24: “Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, 24 and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.”

I find it interesting here, how on the eighth day from the beginning of the priests consecration that the glory of the LORD appeared to the people in the form of fire coming out from before Him. This is an interesting tidbit to keep in mind for now as we will see it come into play in a minute.

 Now, let’s see if the length of this ceremony fits with the timeline of our Messiah.

We know from scripture that Messiah was crucified on a Wednesday, the fourteenth day of the first month as our Passover lamb, was resurrected late on Sabbath the seventeenth, but was first seen by His apostles on the first day of the week, Sunday, which would have been the eighteenth day of the first month. He was seen by the people for forty days (Acts 1:1-3).

Since He was first seen on the eighteenth, counting the eighteenth as the first day, forty days brings us to the twenty-seventh day of the second month. This is the day He ascended from the Mount of Olives and entered into the tabernacle in heaven (Acts 1:9-12).

That would have begun the seven day sanctification ceremony. The end of the seven days brings us to the fifth day of the third month. The next day, the sixth day of the third month, would be the eighth day from the beginning of the consecration period. Interestingly, when the wavesheaf that begins the count to Pentecost is offered on the sixteenth day of the first month, the day after the annual Sabbath of Passover as Joshua 5:10 shows, Pentecost ends up being the sixth day of the third month also! And what happened on that Pentecost following Messiah’s ascension?

Act 2:1-4 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Coincidence? I think not! After Messiah finished His consecration period, on the eighth day which was Pentecost, as High Priest His first act was to send down the helper that He had promised!  And just as the glory of the LORD appeared to the people in the form of fire coming out from Him back in Lev. 9:24, so did His holy spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4.

In summary, through the instructions given for the consecration of the priests and the timeline of our Messiah, we can see that He not only followed the same process He commanded for the physical priests, but it also confirms once again the timing of Pentecost.