Numbers 35:6-24, 35:25

[alon]

When I say the entire Torah (1st 5 books of Moshe/Moses) points to Yeshua (Jesus), consider:

Numbers 35:6-24, 35:25 (redacted) Cities of Refuge
6 “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, … 9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. 12 The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. … 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there. … 22 “But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait 23 or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. … 35:25 And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

Now consider these as “types:”
manslayer- sinners
avenger of blood- ha’satan
stranger and the sojourner- Gentiles
high priest- ha’moshaich, the anointed one

Not the only way this can be read, but it is the infinite word of the Living God, after all.

The manslayer/sinner flees to a place of refuge, a covering for his sin. In the Old Testament of course there was the temporary covering of the sacrifices (which will continue in the end times and the world to come Ezekiel 40:39; 45:15). We are now covered by the blood of Yeshua. But bad news, folks; true salvation comes at death if we still walk with Him. See, no one can take you from His hand (John 10:28), but God does not interfere with free will (Rom 13:2). You can walk away any time you like. If you do, you are no longer in a state of grace. Our halacha, or walk with God is about obedience (2 John 1:6). And that is our salvation- that we walk with Him (Phil 2:12-13). Walk away and, well, it cannot go well for you. So we as sinners still need the covering and protection of God until that final breath, just like the manslayer.

Now consider what might be prophesied by the fact the stranger and for the sojourner, who are Gentiles can also come into this protection. Actually, Gentiles have always been able to be “saved” by joining themselves with Yisroel and trusting and worshiping El Elohe Yisroel alone. Zechariah and Paul both spoke of 2 trees, one wild (Gentiles) and one cultivated (Jewish tree, nourished by His Word). When we accept God, we are grafted onto that Jewish root stalk. That is basic Evangelical Christian doctrine, right there.

Point is, Gentiles are welcome into God’s family just like a natural born Jew. Now being Jewish alone does not save anyone (Rom 10:1-4). We must have Yeshua. People ask me if I think they are saved, to which I reply “I will not judge anyones salvation. All I will say is you must have Yeshua or you are lost. After that, all I can tell you is the farther you are from Torah, the more danger you are in.” Tora by the way is not “the Law.” It is God’s instruction for holy living and developing a walk with Himself. So Gentiles are welcome to this party, and in the future will come to it in droves.

Now we come to the obvious (to believers) symbolism of the death of the Cohen HaGadol (High Priest) and the sinner being set free. Yeshua is our High Priest (Heb 4:14-16), and His self sacrificial death sets us free (Rom 8:2).

“Jesus sets the sinner free,” how much more Evangelically prophetic can an OT passage be? The entire Bible points to Yeshua and that fateful day on Calvary when He willingly allowed Himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter in order to take on the penalty for our sins. The “Old testament” (especially Torah) points forward to it, and the “New Testament” points back to it. That is the lynch pin on which eternity hangs for all of us; the focal point of God’s message to us- His Word, His Torah, our Bible.

So when your friends challenge you on the statement everything in Torah points to Yeshua, show them this.