Did the Red Heifer Typify Christ?
By M. B. Lichtenstein
THE ordinance of the red heifer differs much from any other of the sacrifices; and as soon as the eye glances upon the description given in the nineteenth chapter of Numbers, it is plain to be seen that Christ is pointed out. 1. It needs to be a “red heifer;” Heb., parah adumah. “Parah” means fruitful; adumah is derived from Adam, which signifies the ruddy color of the first Adam, who was created of the dust of the ground. Christ also is called the second Adam, as he himself said to the high priest, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man [Heb. Test., Ben Adam] sitting on the right hand of Power.” Matt. 26:64. 2. The heifer was to be entirely burned; so Christ Jesus ascended wholly to Heaven; even a bone was not broken in his body; he was a perfect and complete sacrifice. 3. The cedarwood, hyssop, and scarlet, were cast into the midst of the burning fire. Cedar, it is well known, ranks with the tallest trees in the world; and hyssop, which is called in Hebrew “ezov,” is the same as “assev,” a kind of low grass. The changes in the words, from a to e and s to z, and the prolonging change from e to o, are according to the Hebrew grammar. And so the cedar may typify the highest degree of the nature of Christ Jesus, and hyssop, the lowest degree. Christ, being the Son of God, partook of the flesh and blood. Heb. 2:14. The term, “scarlet,” is a mistranslation of the original. The Hebrew of it is two words, “tolaath shony,” scarlet, crimson, as Isaiah says: “Though your sins be as scarlet,” Heb., “shony,” “though they be red as crimson,” Heb., “tolaath.” Hence scarlet and crimson may be applied to the sins of the people which Christ Jesus took upon him. 4. It had two objects, its acceptance to God by its sprinkling, and burning, and the cleansing of the unclean. So also Christ in fulfilling the will of God said, “Nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” Matt. 26:39. He also by his blood cleansed the sinner. 5. It cleansed the unclean and defiled the clean. Jesus “touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean; and immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Matt. 8:3. Then again he defiled those which supposed themselves to be clean, saying to the Pharisees, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which cometh out of the mouth; that defileth a man.” Matt. 15:11. Here he defiled them by convincing them of sin. Moreover, he cleansed those which were touched with his Spirit and then drank of his living water; but those which were only touched with his Spirit and did not taste of his living water; those he defiled and made them more guilty. 6. Last of all, this red heifer was the last one of the principal sacrifices named in the holy Bible; so was Christ Jesus the last and only sacrifice for the sins of the world. There are many more points which might be mentioned as typical of Christ in the sacrifice of the red heifer. I will leave the reader to follow the matter out according to his own pleasure. Battle Creek, Mich., April 11, 1871.