Abundant Grace Fellowship
Eight Sprinkles of The Blood Parts 1 - 2
Eight Sprinkles of The Blood, Part 1
By Pastor J.D. Link
Lev 16:14-15 says, “And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat.”
Lev. 16 describes the processes of the Day of Atonement. These two verses explain that the goat that is sacrificed for the sins of the nation is to be slaughtered, and it’s blood sprinkled seven times on the ground in front of the Ark of the Covenant, and once on the Mercy Seat (the lid of the Ark). So, there are eight sprinklings of the blood. In the Bible, seven represents completion, perfection, or wholeness. Eight represents new beginnings. This is significant, because the sacrifice, the blood, and the High Priest are all types and shadows of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can look into the New Testament and find that Jesus fulfilled perfectly the Old Testament Day of Atonement. Let’s get into God’s Word.
The first sprinkle we find in Lk 22:44, when Jesus sweat “great drops of blood”. Is this really possible? Even medical science says yes. Hematidrosis can occur when someone is under extreme psychological stress - as Jesus was. Chemicals are released that break down capillaries in the sweat glands, and the result is blood-tinged sweat. This fulfilled Isa 53:10-11, when His soul shall travail, and be made an offering for sin. By the way, this condition also makes the skin extremely sensitive, making the sufferings of Jesus all the more painful.
The second sprinkle was being struck with rods on the head (Mt 27:30, Mk 15:19). This, as with almost all head injuries, would certainly bring forth blood. This was also prophesied in Mic. 5:1, when the Judge of Israel would be hit with a rod in the face.
The third sprinkle was revealed to us in Isaiah 50:6, when the One (Jesus) Who gave His back to the strikers, would have His beard ripped out of His face. I have facial hair myself, and this would no doubt bring forth blood - as well as horrible pain. But Jesus set His face like a flint, and endured the suffering for you and for me (Isa 50:7, Lk 9:51).
The fourth sprinkle is the hideous scourging (Mt 27:26, Jn 19:1, Isa 50:6). There is a tradition that says He received 39 lashes; but that was based on Jewish law of receiving no more than forty (Dt 25:3). Jesus was not scourged by the Jews, but by the Romans. Many died at the scourging pillar for loss of blood and lashes without number. They used whips with pieces of bone or metal woven into the tips of the leather straps, which tore the victim to shreds - exposing muscle and even bone. But Jesus endured the scourging post, because He had you on His mind. This fulfilled Isa 53:5, which says, “By His stripes (lashes), we are healed”.
The fifth sprinkle was the crown of thorns (Jn 19:2-5, My 27:29-30). We see from these Scriptures that Jesus was even hit on the head with rods after they put the crown of thorns on Him. He could not adjust it the whole time He was on the cross. Imagine. Why the brutality against an innocent Man? Isaiah 53:3-4 “He was despised and rejected of men, and we did not value or respect Him”. I pray this verse does not apply to you today.
The sixth sprinkle was the cross itself (Mk 15:24, Lk 23:33, Ps 22:16). Blood and agony came forth as iron spikes were driven into His wrists and feet, and the God-Man was suspended between God and man for six hours on Golgotha - the place of the skull. At this time the sins of the universe - past, present, and future - were placed on The Sacrifice, to redeem mankind and reconcile him to God the Father. Jesus endured horrors unimaginable; evils incomprehensible; pain excruciating; shame unfathomable. Why? For you. He did it all for you. Do you really think that if there were many ways to heaven, Jesus would have had to suffer so? Do you really think that if you reject this Perfect Sacrifice, God in the flesh - that God The Father will grant you pardon? Unthinkable. Thinking on what Jesus went through makes Jn 14:6 all the more understandable.
The seventh sprinkle was the spear in His side (Jn 19:34, Zec 12:10, Ps 22:14). The final act of cruelty was that a spear was shoved up into His heart, to make absolutely certain He was dead; and to fulfill the prophecy that no bone of the Passover lamb shall be broken (Ex 12:46, 1Cor 5:7).
Those are the seven sprinkles on the ground (earth) of the atoning sacrifice typified in Lev 16:14-15; but what about the eighth sprinkle of blood? The sprinkle on the mercy seat? Lord willing, I’ll talk about that in detail next week. Until next time, reflect on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eight Sprinkles of The Blood, Part 2
By Pastor J.D. Link
Last week we compared Leviticus 16 to what Jesus did in His suffering on this earth from the Garden of Gethsemane to His last breath on the cross - fulfilling seven of the eight sprinkling’s of His blood to eternally redeem (purchase out of slavery and the Kingdom of Darkness) mankind. Remember, in Lev. 16, seven times the blood was sprinkled on the ground by the High Priest; then once on the Mercy Seat - which represented the throne of God (where His glory dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle). So we saw that Jesus poured out His blood in: Sweat in the Garden, being beat with rods on His head, His beard plucked out of His face, being scourged, the crown of thorns, the crucifixion, and the spear in His side. Seven represents completion, perfection, or wholeness. Jesus said “It is finished” on the cross. What was finished? The righteous requirement of The Law of Moses (Rom 10:4, Col 2:14, Gal 3:25, Heb 7:12, 18, 8:13, 9:9-10, 10:8-9). It was completed. It was fulfilled. It was done.
The number eight represents new beginnings. The eighth sprinkling of Jesus blood did not happen on earth - it happened in Heaven. In Hebrews nine, we learn that the tabernacle in the Old Testament, and all that it contained, were actually patterned after the true Tabernacle in Heaven. The Ark, Incense alter, Menorah, Table of Showbread, etc., were all copies of what is actually in Heaven. In Heb 9:12, it says that He entered in with His own Blood once into the Holy Place (in Heaven, vs. 23-24), and obtained for us eternal redemption! That was the eighth and final sprinkling! Do you get it?
Jesus entered into Heaven itself as both the ultimate High priest and Sacrifice; and offered His perfect, sinless, spotless Blood on the Mercy Seat. I don’t know exactly how He did it - and I don’t need to know: but I do know that He did it, because God’s eternal Word said He did. I don’t know all about thrust and lift, or the internal workings of a jet engine - but I have flown to the other side of the world more than once! I trust that plane enough to get me there safely! I’d be a fool not to trust Jesus to do the same!
This is a side note, but it’s very beneficial if you can grasp it. God never said that we were to come to Him knowing everything (like that‘s even possible). We are to come to Him believing His Word. Did you receive Christ because you had every intellectual question answered? Or did you receive Him because you heard the Gospel and accepted it’s truth? We are to come believing and receiving Christ and His Word; and after we receive by faith, we then spend the rest of our Christian life growing in the grace and knowledge of God and His Word. Too many people have the cart before horse.
Christians around the world just celebrated Resurrection Sunday, in which we remember the most important event in all of human history - the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Because Jesus was resurrected from the dead, we (disciples) also have the blessed hope and assurance that all who have died in Christ, and who are living in Christ, will be bodily resurrected from the dead to live forever with God in His Kingdom (Jn 6:38-40, 44, 53-54, Philp 3:20-21, Col 3:4, 1Jn 3:2). But what gives us that right and privilege to be counted in the number of the just who will receive everlasting life? Faith in the shed Blood of Jesus.
The Bible says that Christ is our Passover. He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. However, Jesus’ Blood will not benefit you if you don’t apply it. In the story of the Passover, the spotless lamb had to be slaughtered, and then it’s blood applied to the doorposts and lintel in order to be saved. If it had not been applied, the shed blood would have done them no good. Likewise, the shedding of Jesus’ Blood does not benefit you if you do not apply it to your heart by faith. You must believe in the power of the shed Blood of Jesus (Col 1:14, 20, Eph 2:13, Heb 13:12). You must believe that He bodily rose from the dead on the third day to be saved (Rom 10:9). These are not options according to God’s Word. You must believe. You must put faith in God The Son to be saved. You must accept His sacrifice and apply His Blood, for He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. I pray you have received Him today. Don’t wait another moment, for we are all one breath away from eternity. The only question is, where will you be spending it? Until next time, rejoice in The Lord!