Dave Camp (3 Apr 2004)
"NVJ, Part 2 - Ending the Vow"

Dear Doves,

Intro

In my previous post, we looked at the idea that Jesus took a Nazirite vow when He instituted the Lord's Supper. In this post and the next, we'll look at the various ways the Nazirite vow can END - and how these "endings" might apply to Jesus.


When Does The Vow End ?

Reviewing Numbers 6 where the vow is described (we'll look at the verses below) shows us that there are two ways the Nazirite could end his vow:

• Voluntarily; He is then required to to perform certain actions
  (such as making a sacrifice and cutting his hair);
  
• INvoluntarily (perhaps), by violating one of the conditions of the vow.

The "involuntary" part SEEMS somewhat important; do we have have to consider whether the Nazirite defiled himself involuntarily or not? Although it would seem that he would not do so voluntarily (because he willingly put himself under the vow in the first place), the Scriptures don't say anything about the Nazirite's motive in doing so. They only address what the Nazirite must do after the vow ends.

In other words, the Law is only concerned with the HOW of the ending of the vow rather than the WHY.


When Does Jesus' Vow End ?

Ah, THAT is the question, is it not?

Now Jesus said He would drink wine again only with the Apostles in God's Kingdom. And, as the Rapture-happy church believes, this will "obviously" be when we get to Heaven. However, this understanding is based on our DOCTRINE, not the Scriptures per se.

So let's consider the Lord's Prayer, in which Jesus taught us to pray -

Matt. 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

- NOT "we GO to The Kingdom," but "The Kingdom COMES to us" - ie, here on Earth!
(Or perhaps in the air, slightly ABOVE the Earth. <grin>)

Now because of our understanding of the Rapture, this is NOT how we've been taught things will work out (maybe that's why Jesus has us pray it all the time, without perhaps fully understanding what we're asking for! <grin>)

And yet it's TOTALLY Scriptural! Don't think so? Here's your PROOF:

Luke 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

So IF God's Kingdom is coming, then so is Jesus - and so is the King, His Father! And when it does, Jesus will drink the wine anew with us in that Kingdom. Glory!

And since He said the wine is His blood, and "the life is in the blood," then the NEW wine should be the NEW life of the NEW Covenant - that is, the Eternal life that is promised to us!


The Separated Life

Now the essence of the vow is a "separated life" - ie, the Nazirite is separated unto God. Church-wise, this means things like monks and nuns, who separate themselves from the world. Yet BIBLE-wise, it ALSO speaks of the Priesthood!

For instance, as priests, the Levites were said by God to be "SEPARATED unto Himself":

Lev. 22:2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.
Num. 8:14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.

Likewise, God's ORIGINAL intention for Israel was that ALL the Jews would be His priests, and thus be separated unto Himself for priestly service. Israel FAILED here, however, and only the Levites stood with Moses; thus only that tribe received the blessing of the Priesthood!

And Jesus' Priesthood is no different! He is now our High Priest - yet of the Order of Melchizedek, rather than of Levi (since His tribe is Judah, not Levi). And as our High Priest, he is "daily making intercession" for us.

Inside Story

BTW, Doves, did you notice that:

Num. 6:8 All the days of his separation [the Nazirite] is holy unto the Lord.

sounds an AWFUL LOT like:

Ex. 28:36 And you shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a seal, "Holiness unto the Lord."

what is written on the plate that was put on the turban of the HIGH PRIEST?

(back outside)

So if Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father - ie, in the Holy of Holies, His separation thus represents Yom Kippur, since that's the ONLY time the Jewish High Priest went in there! And of course, while in there, he "made intercession" for the entire Jewish nation - just as Jesus is now making intercession for not only the entire church, but for the entire world as well:

1John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

(Note that the Greek word here for "propitiation" is the SAME WORD translated elsewhere as "mercy seat!")

So in a sense, from Heaven's viewpoint, we're "stuck" at Yom Kippur, waiting for Jesus our High Priest to emerge and announce to the WORLD that God has accepted His intercession (just as the Jewish High Priest announced the same to the Israeli nation)!

COOL, huh?


Making Ends Meet

Now it seems that the END of Jesus' time of intercession would correspond with the END of His vow!

Why?

Because IF He's returning to Earth to partake of the New Wine in God's Kingdom, then his "days of separation" (separation FROM us, and TO God) will END, will they not?

OK, Here's the regulations for the end of the Nazirite vow:

Num. 6:13-14 And this is the law of the Nazirite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 14 And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord ...

The passage goes on to detail the sacrifices the Nazirite offers, yet the important thing to note is the "WHERE": At the door of the Tabernacle (and later, by extension, the Temple)!

This suggests that the Nazirite actually WENT INTO the Tabernacle or Temple during his time of separation (and it also suggests that Anna, who prophesied over Jesus along with Simeon, had taken a similar vow of separation, as she was "in the Temple" all that time!)

Note this provides ANOTHER link to Yom Kippur, as the High Priest ALSO appeared at the door, once his Yom Kippur duties were completed!


Conclusion

Now Timing-wise, it makes sense to me that the time of Jesus' vow would end either:

• On Passover (specifically, the evening of 13/14 Nisan), since it begun then; or,
• On Yom Kippur, since that's where Heaven's time is representationally "stuck."

And after looking more at the end of the vow, we'll consider the calendar, too.


Outro

But what about those OTHER ways the vow could end?


-Dave