24 September 2010 (Sheshi/Kippur) Day #192, 5934 AM
Sukkot #2 The 13 Bulls
Mystery of the Tabernacles Sacrifices
Yesterday we began the seven day-long Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) and on the evening before when our family met to start the festival, I decided - on impulse - to read out a passage about the various offerings made in the sacrificial system, something I would not ordinarily have done. As I was reading the passage aloud, the cogs and wheels started turning in my head and I began to see something fascinating that led me to do some intense research over the next two days.
Under the Old Covenant, the Priest would offer sacrifices on each of the seven days, beginning with 13 bullocks and other animals on the first day and diminishing by one bulluck each day until, on the seventh day, seven bullocks were offered. Why did Yahweh order this done? Nothing that He commands is ever accidental but is pregnant with purpose. On the eighth and Great Last Day (Shemini Atseret) there was a High Sabbath Solemn Assembly when one bullock, one ram and seven lambs were offered (Num.29:36). In total, 189 animals were sacrificed.
Day |
Number of Bullocks |
1 (Sukkot I) |
13 |
2 (Sukkot II) |
12 |
3 (Sukkot III) |
11 |
4 (Sukkot IV) |
10 |
5 (Sukkot V) |
9 |
6 (Sukkot VI) |
8 |
7 (Sukkot VII) |
7 |
Subtotal |
70 |
8 (Shemini Atseret) |
1 |
Total |
71 |
I was fascinated by the diminishing number of bullocks from 13 to 7. This is a seven-day festival in the seventh month, the number '7' always representing fullness or completeness. A total of 70 bullocks were sacrificed, 7 x 10, 10 being the number of testimony, law, and responsibility. The 7th or last day of Sukkot therefore represents the completeness of fullness of everything of Christ's responsibility towards us! It is very much a number of full consummation and celebration of victory. But what of the number 13?
There is a lot of superstition surrounding this number. People think it is 'unlucky' because it was on a Friday the 13th in 1307 that the Knights Templar were rounded up by the Catholic Church and murdered because they were considered a threat to Rome on account of their massive wealth, power and influence. (The US Navy refuses to launch ships on any Friday 13th because of this superstition). Many view this as a 'satanic number' since it is so popular in the occult with some Bible commentators claiming it is the number of rebellion and depravity because in Genesis 14:4,13 the breakdown of law and order, leading to rebellion, took place in the 13th year.
But there is a positive side to 13 that gets easly overlooked. In the same way that the 12 Tribes are bonded to their father, Israel the Overcomer (Jacob), so the 12 Apostles are bonded to their Master, Yah'shua (Jesus) the Overcomer of Sin, like a wheel of twelve spokes joined to the centre or hub. 13 is therefore a number of echad or oneness, and specifically that which binds or bonds together. The number 13 is the Male (directive) Principle that bonds the other 12 Female (receptive, submissive) principles. At a sum, it is the bonding of many (12) into one. However, there is another important aspect of the number 13 because it of what it represents (Yod-Gimmel, gy) in the Hebrew alphabet. 13 is the numerical value of the words ahavah (love) and echad (oneness). The number 13 therefore represents the oneness or echad that is brought about by divine love or ahavah!
Additionally the numerical value of the Hebrew words Moses (351=27x13), Joseph (156=12x13), Isaac (208=16x13), Abraham (104=8x13), Torah (611=47x13), Jacob (182=14x13), Israel (546=42x13), Sinai (130=10x13) and chodesh (month) (312=12x26=12x2x13) are all multiples of 13 because all of these words or names represent unifying principles. In the New Testament Yah'shua (Jesus) uses 13 comparisons or titles in the Gospel of John to designate who He is:
- 1. I am the Bread (Jn.6:35,48,51);
- 2. I am the Light (Jn.8:12; 9:5);
- 3. I am the Gate (Jn.10:7,9);
- 4. I am the Good Shepherd (Jn.10:11,14);
- 5. I am the Resurrection (Jn.11:25);
- 6. I am the Way (Jn.14:67);
- 7. I am the Truth (Jn.14:5);
- 8. I am the Life (Jn.14:6);
- 9. I am the Vine (Jn.15:5);
- 10. I am the King (Jn.18:37; 19:21);
- 11. I am the Son of Elohim (God) (Jn.10:13);
- 12. I am in the Father (Jn.14:10-11,20; 17:8); and
- 13. I am (Jn.8:24,28,58; 13:19).
There is a negative site to the number 13, namely the Hebrew word bew meaning chaos which has the numerical value of 13. Accordingly, to many such as the Jewish occultic Kabbalists, the number 13 represents the snake, dragon or Satan. Little wonder that Satan wants to appropriate the number and what it represents to himself since he seeks to rob Elohim of His glory!
The 13 bullocks sacrificed on the first day of Sukkot therefore represent the sum that is Yah'shua who brings about echad by His ahavah-filled sacrifice. Sukkot is the celebration of Yah'shua as Bridegroom, Messiah and Elohim! For seven days He is on His 'honeymoon' with His Bride, but even at its end, when 13 is 'reduced' to 7, there is still completion and a New Beginning - the 8th Day of Shemini Atseret which is day #1 of the Millennium and the beginning of full Married Life for the Body of Messiah - the Resurrection Life. With the bullock offered on Shemini Atseret, a total of 71 bullocks had been offered, which in Hebrew numerology is 7+1=8, 8 being the number of resurrection and new beginnings. The first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, alef, a, is the pictographical symbol for a bull. Yah'shua is the Alef (a) and Taw (t), the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End (Rev.1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13). The Hebrew letter Taw (t) is represented by two crossed sticks in the original pictograph, and denotes a mark, sign or memorial.
Sukkot is a memorial to Yah'shua, what He is, is doing, and will do as the Cosmic Bridegroom. Over seven days of Sukkot we recapitulate everything, beginning with the consummation on Day #1 which represents the Creation of the World and everything in it - the Strength and Power of the Creator represented by the bullock. It is a conception, the cosmic Pesach. And then the Bridegroom rehearses with the Bride all He did for her in leading her back to Him, giving her the fullness of His majesty, power and love over seven days until the 7th day when the symbolic Sukkot (which we observe) matches and meets the actual Sukkot. Then, with everything completed, the the Bride given His Strength during Consummation, the Resurrection Age or Millennium begins at the final Shemini Atseret! And the Bride is able to be fruitful for the Bridegroom in new and exciting ways - in perfection!
We have barely scratched the surface in what is hidden up here. Along the way of her journey out of Egypt to the Promised Land, Israel idolatrously yielded to a false bull, to the Egyptian pagan deity, Opis, better known as Apis, the Golden Calf.
Altogether 189 animals were sacrificed to Yahweh at Sukkot. There are 18 Hebrew words in the Tanakh or Old Testament that have this number, one of which is baqa' meaning 'to cleave' that speaks of the time Moses divided Yam Suf or the Red Sea as part of Israel's deliverance (Ex.14:16). Is not Sukkot the culmination of deliverance, the culmination of the Bride's journey home to the Bridegroom? Another word with this number is matmown, meaning 'treasure' (Jer.41:8), reminding us that the Bride is the Bridegroom's Treasure! At the conclusion of the 7 days of Sukkot, 70 bullocks had been slain, which is the gematric number of the Aramaic genaz (Ezra 7:20) which also means 'treasure'. Adding the one bullock from Shemini Atseret we arrive at 71 bullocks which is both the Hebrew word 'adon meaning 'Lord' (Gen.18:12) and 'El meaning 'God' (Gen.49:25), for Yah'shua is both Lord and God to whom all halal or praise (also 71) is due (1 Ki.21:27)!
Sukkot is a feast or chag which has the numerical value of 13 (Dt.16:16). We have already seen how it is the number of ahavah (love) and of echad (oneness) and we have seen that the great patriarchs of old had names whose numerics were multiples of 13. How Yah'shua is glorified in the numerics of these offerings! And finally, Yah'shua is 'Ab of Father (Gen.4:20), also with the value of 13.
We shall end this discussion here as it will otherwise never end. (We have not even looked at the other animals). Sukkot is infinitely good news for us! If we make the Final Sukkot we shall, of all people, be the most happy. To be apart from Him would be the greatest tragedy that could befall any Bride. Let us let Him fill us so that we may have issue or zowb, with the numeric value of 7 (Lev.15:19) for by this means we bring Him increase. Let us therefore submit to the Bridegroom, Yah'shua, in all things and reap the blessings of belonging to Him in glory. Amen.
Continued in Part B
Resources
[1] For a useful resourse of numerics and gematria, see The Bible Wheel, Full Hebrew/Greek Bible Gematria Database
Comments from Readers
"The Sukkot Sacrifices are deep! I have also noticed before about the sacrifices and the change in numbers...Some thoughts about 13, and positive and negative connotations - possitive: the '1' in the '1 + 12' of 13 is Elohim or husband in tavnith (pattern), rightfully taking his place as the wife's head and master (you can only have 1 master) - the negative is when that '1' is an idol, someone setting themselves up as Elohim or usurping the husband's place. Every time we see 13 as a number for, or connecting to, rebellion, it's is giving the picture of someone having taken or appointed themselves to the place of '1' - usurping Elohim's or a husband's place, of authority over the 12. And like the vine defines the branches that are grafted into it, so the 1 defines the 12. If an idol has been set up as the '1', the 12 will also be corrupted or corrupt. If Yahweh is the '1', the 12 will also be holy and good, even as He is holy and good" (DP, South Africa, 25 September 2010).
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