Tetzaveh "Command"
Exodus 27:20-30:10
Ezekiel 43:10-43:27
Psalm 65
Revelation 13:1-10
Tetzaveh contains instructions in the garments of the priesthood. One way of looking at each of the pieces of the High Priest's garments is that it covered or "atoned" for Israel in some way as he ministered each day. This would not atone for willful, rebellious sin, but errors committed in ignorance or weakness. In summary, the atonements of the High Priest (Cohen HaGadol) are thought to be:
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The mitznefet, or turban, arrogance, known as the "high head."
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The tzitz which was the golden headplate worn on the Cohen HaGadol’s forehead; it atoned for chutzpa, brazenness, which is described by the Prophet Jeremiah (3:3) as ‘the forehead of an isha zona’ [harlot]. According to another opinion, it atoned for blasphemy.
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Avneit, or sash, atoned for improper thoughts of the heart.
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Ketonet, or tunic, for murders without two witnesses.
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The michnasim, or breeches, for immorality.
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The me’il for lashon hara (evil speech) spoken in public; the ktoret [incense] for secret lashon hara.
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The ephod, idol worship.
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The choshen, breastplate of jewels, for false judgment.
Each of those has a context in particular Scriptures, but let's focus instead on two of them, the turban and its "crown," or golden tzitz. They are associated with pride, blasphemy, and harlotry. There is the prohibition against blaspheming the Name YHVH (or any of its alternates). One who does so is one who is “strong-faced.” (Sefer HaChinnuch p. 274) The prohibition against blasphemy is:
- “You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people.” (Ex 22:28)
The commandment is not given in isolation, but context. In context, Exodus 22:29-30 explain the bringing of first fruits, presumptively, to Jerusalem, the place which would be later revealed. Continuing context is Exodus 23:20-33, a summary of being brought to “the place” [Jerusalem in the Land], the feasts, and how the supernatural hornet/locust, the tzirah, would drive out Israel’s enemies ahead of them. This tzirah flies out of the Abyss in Revelation, making it difficult for John to describe because it is not of this world, but the one below. In Workbook Two, we take a detailed look at this supernatural bug, but for now, just remember it appears in the larger context of the prohibition against blasphemy.
So now you'll need to do a little extra work to become acquainted with The Blasphemer of Scripture. He was King Sennacherib of Assyria, the one who put Jerusalem under siege, but his army was supernaturally decimated. They became "dried up corpses," perhaps like dried up fruit?
To review how the iconic “Blasphemer,” works through his emissary, or "false prophet," read 2 Kings 18:17-36, and then resume with the next paragraph of the newsletter.
(I'll just wait here and be very quiet while you read.)
The people’s best defense to the Blasphemer, other than prayer and repentance, was silence. “The Blasphemer” Sennacherib (Sancheriv) of Assyria failed to conquer Jerusalem. He was not seen in Nebuchadnezzar II's/Daniel's vision of The Beast of four kingdoms. The four beast kingdoms each conquered Jerusalem, yet Sennacherib’s army was Divinely defeated. We may expect the same of the beast in Revelation, who will arrogantly think to conquer Jerusalem, yet will fail through Divine intervention like Sennacherib.
“The Blasphemer” is mentioned in the Passover haggadah, in the Nirtzah section of “midnights” after L’shanah haba-ah berushalayim [”Next year in Jerusalem.”]:
- “The blasphemer (Sancheriv) planned to raise his hand against Jerusalem-but You withered his corpses.”
If we continue reading the story of King Hezekiah and Sennacherib in II Kings, there is a prophecy in the context of the account of Sennacherib, The Blasphemer. The outcome for Judah and Jerusalem in the prophecy is the opposite of the punishment of the tzirah, which was to cut off the fruit and the root:
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The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD will perform this. (2 Ki 19:30-31)
It was written: "And I will send the hornet (tzirah) before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, and the Canaanites." (Ex 23:28) Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: "The hornet (tzirah) stood on the banks of the Jordan and threw its venom at the inhabitants of the land and it blinded their eyes from above and castrated them from below, as it is stated: ‘Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and they were strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed their fruit from above, and their roots from beneath.’ (Amos 2:9).
The flying creature called the tzira both blinded its victims and rendered them sterile in a piercing action, leaving the victims without fruit; in effect, blotting out their names. The victims are likened to trees, offering another symbol of human destruction used in Revelation. Now this passage in Revelation makes sense. The beast is a Blasphemer like Sennacherib, having blasphemous names for which the golden tzitz on the obedient forehead of the Cohen HaGadol does not atone:
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And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names...they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. (Re 13:1-6)
As the Cohen HaGadol served in the Tabernacle with atonements for unwitting sins, his service described among the feasts of Israel, there is one who wages rebellious, willful war against our Great High Priest and those who dwell in the Tabernacle. Likewise, the original Blasphemer, Sennacherib, sent his own false witness to taunt the city of Jerusalem, saying that even YHVH (in Hebrew) could not deliver Jerusalem's inhabitants from his hand in war.
Here are some summary comments from the Jewish sages on The Blasphemer, the Assyrian, our model for The Blasphemer in Revelation:
- His representative claims to be the agent of God in destroying Judah.
- He uses his conquests of other nations to predict his success in destroying Judah.
- As a sinner and inciter to sin, he rationalizes that he is truly doing God’s will to destroy the Jews.
- He casts sin in a favorable light.
- In the time before the coming of Messiah, every manner of aberration and sin is justified philosophically.
- He makes and breaks promises of security.
- He offers logic in place of faith in God’s protection.
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According to the King of Judah, those who hear The Assyrian’s blasphemies should not “tear their clothes” and attack. It is useless to argue with arrogant braggarts and gives them additional pretext for attack. Instead, quietly prepare for battle and present the blasphemies in the Temple of prayer to the One Who has been blasphemed. The Blasphemer or Harlot has a bronze forehead. He/she will hear no logic other than his/her own.
With the exception of the Cohen HaGadol, “One who hears the Name of God cursed and blasphemed must tear his garments and never mend them.
Rabshakeh’s blasphemy consisted in his comparison of God to the idols and his outrageous claim that God was incapable of standing up to Sennacherib.” (The Prophets I-II Kings, Artscroll, commentary to 18:37, p. 378)
In other words, when the Israelites set up personal altars for worshiping other gods [that they knew were sin], Rabshakeh said they were really only worshiping YHVH, and how dare King Hezekiah tear down their altars and high places? There are many paths to God, so quit making the Israelites feel guilty as though they are sinning. This is the message of modern social justice, which tells us that the Word is incapable of functioning authoritatively in our changing times. The arrogance of human philosophy only is capable. Rabshakeh's blasphemies twist sin into sincere worship, trying to undo King Hezekiah's reforms and make him out to be the villain because he only wants the Jews to sacrifice in Jerusalem in order to line his coffers and increase his power.
Instead, Rabshakeh entices the Jews under siege in Jerusalem to surrender to him, and he will provide them with everything their God has failed to give them. So does the beast and harlot in Revelation:
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Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. (Re 17:1-18)
The truth is not what the Blasphemer Beast and Harlot promise the world. Faith is not what they say. Idolatry is still idolatry. Sin is still sin. Riches and security are a promise that will be broken. Don't be deceived, and by all means, don't be rebellious, is John's faithful and true message. For the truth was prophesied long ago, the truth that the tzirah from the Abyss has no power over faithful Jerusalem. He will fly again to dry up the root and fruit of The Blasphemer and his Harlot:
"The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD will perform this." (2 Ki 19:30-31)
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