I don’t know
how many know, that much of the Temple service was preserved in the synagogue
service and the daily prayers. For instance the three daily prayers represent
the three times of daily sacrifice in the Temple.
In the same
way, the handling of the Torah scroll in the synagogue service represents the
accepting of the Messiah by all Israel.
If you have
never seen a Torah scroll, let me introduce you. It is made of lambskin pieces
hand sown together.
Each end of
this long series of skins is attached to two wooden poles with wheel like caps
on the top and bottom so the scroll can be rolled open or closed.
The two
scrolls are then dressed in a fancy cover and decorated with metal
embellishments.
It is stored
in a wooden cabinet called an ark, reminding us of the Holy Ark of the Covenant in
the Temple. It is brought out during synagogue services in grand procession and
much fanfare. The scroll is undressed and placed upon the Bimah[1]
and rolled open by the Golel (the act itself is called Gelila) to at least
three visible leaves. The Chazan then lifts up the opened Torah and turns
around for everyone to see the script, declaring “Vzos HaTorah” , “And this is
the Torah”. The congregation stands and
orderly advances to see the Torah close up, close enough to read the holy
letters, which are said to emanate special light. Once close enough, it is a
custom to bow in reverence, and to return the declaration, “Vzos HaTorah”,
“This is the Torah”. They then kiss the Torah the way one kisses a mezuzah.
Touch the Torah, and then touch your fingers that touched the Torah to your
lips, thus “kissing it”. Once the portion is read, it is rolled closed by the
Golel, redressed and returned to the ark.
The lifting
of the Torah is known as Hagba. Vzos HaTorah is in Hebrew: וזאת התורה.
“Whoever does not bow…should be put in Cherem.”[2]
The Torah describes a practice of declaring people cherem, which means that the person, and—in some
cases—his family, would be annihilated, and his possessions donated to the
Temple.
Upon reading about this elaborate ritual, I was reminded of
two verses in John:
“And as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Jhn 3:14-15 KJV
“And I, if I be lifted
up from the earth, will
draw all unto me.” This he said, signifying what death he should die. Jhn
12:32-33 KJV
When the Torah scroll is lifted
up in the synagogue, the
people are drawn to it, they bow to it and they kiss it.
“I have sworn by myself, the Word is gone out of my mouth-righteousness, and shall not return, ‘That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.’” Isa 45:23 KJV
This verse is quoted by Paul as a Messianic prophesy:
“But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy
brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, [As] I live, saith the
Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” Rom
14:10-11 KJV
The word “judgment” is mistranslated. It literally says “bimah”, the place from
where the Torah scroll is read.
Again Paul quotes it:
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is
above every name: That at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of in heaven, and in earth, and under the earth;
And every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phl
2:9-11 KJV
This is so similar to the confession of the people before the Torah scroll:
“This is the Torah!”
It is known that "the Word", a nickname for Torah, became flesh, much like
the words of the Heavenly Torah come to earth to be written on animal skin…so
too, Yeshua, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
“And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is
called the Word of God.” Rev 19:13 KJV
And this reminds us of what Moses did:
“For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the
law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool,
and hyssop, and sprinkled
both the book, and all the people,…Though we acknowledge that dipping
and sprinkling are different, there is still blood common on the Torah and
Yeshua’s garments.” Heb 9:19 KJV
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