 |
| http://www.avakesh.com/2011/07/high-priests-bell-found.html |
31 ¶And
thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue….
33 ¶And
beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple,
and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them
round about:
34 A
golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of
the robe round about.
35 And it
shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in
unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
(Exodus 28:31, 33-35)
This part always used to puzzle me. The idea that Aaron had to have bells
and pomegranates around the hem of his robe as a safety feature so that he wouldn’t die because the sound would keep
him safe while going in and out of the temple is really strange. This should tip us off that
there is some symbolism here that is supposed to teach us about Christ.
I have already written about the symbolism of the pomegranate and its meanings of atonement, eternal life, and countless
posterity,
so I’m going to focus more on the bells in this post.
Why bells? What
is the function of a bell that hangs on a person or animal? It is to usually to let you know they
are coming or to let you know where they are.
I started trying to imagine what it would be like for the
high priest to wear all those bells.
Right away it became evident that the high priest wouldn’t be able to
make the slightest movement without making noise. You’d always know when the priest was coming because of the
sound of those bells.
Then I thought, Did
Jesus go around with bells on?
No. But then I thought about
the explanation of bells as a safety feature every time the high priest moves
and then I thought about how it might fit in with how important it was for
Jesus to stay pure. It was
important for Jesus to stay spiritually safe, otherwise He would die spiritually
and the Plan of Salvation would be frustrated. I realized the ringing bells symbolized prayer, and that
Jesus had to let Heavenly Father know everything He was going to do so that He
could be warned if it was bad so He wouldn’t sin. He had to learn ahead of time from Heavenly Father, rather
than learning by experience so that He would stay pure. So the bells symbolize constant
communication to Heavenly Father about Christ was about to do so that “he die
not” or avoid spiritual death.
The arrangement of bells alternating around the hem of Aaron’s
robe also gives us a sort of symbolic film strip of Christ’s life—bell,
pomegranate, bell, pomegranate—prayer, life, prayer, life—to show us that
Christ stayed spiritually alive because of prayer.
I think this shows us that if we want to be more like
Christ, we can learn to counsel with our Heavenly Father over what we are about
to do and learn to be obedient to the warnings we receive. Prayer will help us stay alive in
Christ.
The sound of the bells on Aaron’s hem would automatically
start when he moved. I think this
can teach us about how natural and automatic prayer was to Christ, and it can
also teach us how natural and automatic prayer can be (and should be to us) if
we want to be like Him.
27 comments:
A better understanding might be that is a type of the ascended Christ. How he makes Himself known is through the bells and pomegranates. The hem of His garment is the closest thing to the earth. How he manifests himself today is through the gifts of the Spirit and through the fruit of the Spirit. The golden bells correlates to 1st Corinthians 12 gifts, and the pomegranates correlates to the Galatians fruit. though it doesn't say, I wouldn't be surprised if there were nine bells & 9 pomegranates across the hem of His garment.
C Squared, that's a very interesting interpretation you have come up with. Forgive me if I don't quite understand how bells would point the mind to spiritual gifts as in 1 Cor. 12. Or how pomegranates correlate to Galatians. Perhaps if you explained a little bit better..
Thanks for stopping by.
I have a theory it represents that part of genesis after eve stole the fruit and god was looking for Adam, having to call him twice before Adam stepped out
So Anthony, are you saying that the pomegranates represent the eating of the fruit (thus, the fall) and the bells represent God calling Adam afterward?
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
"All thins are written for our instruction and admonition" ergo I am admonished that the gifts of the spirit and "things pertaining to God" (priests) are to be exercised in love, joy, peace, etc. according to the fruit of the Spirit——which is one fruit, represented by the pomegranate——else I'm just so much noise even if I have all the gifts. Some people "chase after wind" (Ecc. ) their entire lives in pursuit of the gifts without result, (but still making lots of noise :) the wrong emphasis and wrong approach I think.
So you're saying the bells represent a sounding brass or a life without charity, and the pomegranates represent the fruits of the Spirit? I don't know if I quite care for the bell part of your interpretation. I don't see why that would be something God would want to put on the high priest robes.
Regardless, thanks for stopping by, Richard.
Conparing scripture with scripture ("spirutual things with spiritua") is the cardinal ruke of biblical interpretation, scripture interprets itselfCor
it's not a life without charity it's "gifts," spiritual gifts
Richard, I think you're going to have to be more clear with your interpretation. That to me is one of the cardinal rules, particularly on my blog.
When I parsed what you said, I got something that made sense about pomegranates, but in addition, it seemed you were trying to make a statement about the bells, but it didn't make sense, so I said what I thought you were saying. It was an invitation for you to clarify (though perhaps badly done). I give you one more try, if you care to take it.
Isaiah 55:8-9King James Version (KJV)
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Granted, Taylors Robes, that the Lord's thoughts and ways are higher than ours. However, my feeling is the Lord uses symbolism to communicate things to us about Christ as the great high priest through the medium of the high priest's clothing (among other things). Communication assumes that He wants us to understand or make the effort to understand in a way that builds faith in Christ. Understanding requires clarity. So I'm looking for clarity.
Without the pomegranates(love)the bells would clang against each other and make unharmonious noise clanging similar to brass. The love chapter is golden ,nestled in between 12,and14.If the church has no love in its body and only gifts the bells do not ring and the priest is sleeping or dead.
I think the bells were to let the other priests know he was still alive inside the holy of holies. If they were quiet for to long then they would pull him out by the rope tied around him. If they entered the holy of holies they would die too.
The Bible doesn't mention anything about a rope being tied around the priest to pull him out if he died. That is a very old legend that sounded good but isn't biblical correct.
I know that pomegranate has 613 seeds which represent the 613 laws God gave Moses. In reading the other replies it dawned me that Jesus said I did not come to remove the law and the prophets but to fulfill them. Could it possibly be the bells represent the prophets? God's word and proclaiming God's word.
Wow! That was such an awesome description of the bells and how you can hear him coming. Thanks for sharing. I heard a deal a while back by Chuck Misler about the bells and Pom’s and how it symbolized the high priest coming. The poms however stood for the fruitfulness of Jesus. For he is the source. I just love this. It gives me a greater adoration for him and love and hunger. Jesus is so precious. Sometimes when I go for walks I love to picture him walking with bells and poms and my heart rejoices and I start to sing out, God put this song on my heart about the bells and poms, I think God wants others to know and Taste and hear him. Truly he is altogether lovely. I feel like God just paints pictures in our hearts in different ways about himself. He’s so creative that way and I love how you were talking about bells on animals. Wow! Totally blessed in what you shared. For me, God always paints a picture in my mind about himself walking along the gates and peering through for his desire is for us and his delights are with the sons of men. I can almost see sweet Jesus now walking along the way and leaving a trail of poms for me to follow. May we be drawn to the bells of our high priest and come quickly when he comes passing by and may we follow in his footsteps and feed off of his trail of poms. Can you hear the bells of your sweet one coming, O come and taste and see that the lord is good. How sweet are the feet of my King Jesus. For me it’s a lovers call. The bells and poms represent the sweetness and sound of who he is and how pomegranates break apart and are scattered and very generous just like my sweet Jesus. I believe he wants us to delight in him and his fruits. I also believe with the bells he wants us to hear his sweet voice. After all he sings over us and his words truly are sweet. Like Song of Solomon it speaks about sitting under his shade with great delight and how his fruit was sweet to taste. I want to sit under Jesus and at his feet with great delight and follow hard after him. I just love the picture about our high priest Jesus. May we feast our eyes on him and hear the call and withdraw. He is so generous and loving and O how he supplies. Well I could go on and on about the sweetness of my King but just wanted to come on here and thank you for sharing the beautiful picture Jesus painted in your heart about this bells and poms priest deal. God Bless You Michaela ✌🏻❤️✝️
I would interpret it slightly difference. According to the whole book of Hebrews Jesus is shown as the high priest. And as judgement is going on just like when the priest was in the holy of holies israel was supposed to be agonising and soul search talking to their God. This gives us the flip side of things. Is it possible that the bells signified that as long they were ringing there was still hope for the forgiveness of sin in Israel. Symbolically the exercise of the atonement day was a shadow of tbings to come. The bells are still ringing today. There is still hope for a sinner ready to accept Jesus.
The golden bells and the pomegranate fruits are check and balance typenof symbols. Without bells there would dull sounds produced by fruits beating each other , but without bells’ sound would be sharp, loud and noisy confusing! And they were hung around the hem of high priest’s rob and qorn when he was ministering in the holy of holies. Now in NT under new covenant we are the royal priesthood have to minister God with the fruit and gifts, our gufts should not over noise our fruits, same way fruit should not wear out!!
Maybe The bells ring so God can hear Aron coming in and out. So Aron won't see God's face because Aron could die if he sees Him.
Love this
Think about when the women with the issue of blood touched touched the hem of Jesus robe and was healed. Jesus didn’t have the physical pomegranates and bells on his hem but she was healed because of her faith. The bells represent hearing. And the pomegranates represent healing . We don’t have to figure this one out. The Bible explains itself. “ faith through hearing”. The word of God + your faith can and will heal us spiritually, financially, physically and emotionally. Hope this helps
The Lord placed pomegranates on my heart today; specifically, to do some research on the subject of pomegranates. I searched several websites, including Jewish religious websites, attempting to educate myself about the subject. In the end, Strong's Concordance, and searching the Holy Bible was my best source forinformation. What did I find out? Pomegranates are one of the Seven (7) holy "fruits" of the Promised Land God promised to Israel- "wheat, barley, grapevines, fig trees, olives (and their oil), and honey" being the other six fruits of the land- Deuter.8:7-8). In addition, pomegranates and golden bells are mentioned in Exodus as interwoven on the hem of the priestly garment. Pomegranates are also mentioned in several books of the O/T as decorative ornaments on the chapiters of Jewish Temple. Perhaps most revealing, the pomegranate is mentioned six times (the number of man) in Solomon's Song of songs to describe the Beloved, and preparation for the act of love. To sum it up: my "take" on the Pomegranate- it is a VERY special "fruit" in God's sight, signifying Fruitfulness, plenty, fertility, and LOVE and procreation. The golden bells (Gold being emblematic of God) signify DECLARATION (not prayer): 1st, the Priest DECLARING his presence before God (lest he be struck DEAD for "barging in" to God's Presence "un-announced); and 2nd, the Priest declaring God's Law, commandments, and Ordinances to the people: "Hear, O Israel, the LORD your God is ONE". Love, fertility and Fruitfulness, and DECLARATION, to God and Man...that's the meaning of the golden bells and the pomegranates at the hem of the Priest's robe.
In my most humble opinion, the sounding bells are a type or symbol of prayer to God the Father, while the pomegranates represent the fruits of the Spirit in the Christian life. During Christ's earthly life He frequently prayed: prayer, life, prayer, life--as in the hem of the high priest's robe: bell, pomegranate, bell, pomegranate ...
I think the reason he had to have bells on his garment was to show God when he was approaching. If anyone else tried to go into the area reserved for the priests they would be struck dead, as it was a most Holy place reserved for priests only.
Walk should equal talk. His fruit lived up to His life and vice versa. He is our Perfect representative and our example of balanced living .
His walk equalled his talk. The fruit equalled the truth and vice versa. He was our perfect example of a perfectly sinless human life which qualifies Him to be our everlasting representative. In the real Holy place where he understands our humanity and faithfully intercedes through the blood of the covenant. The earth cannot contain the wonders of his grace.
As members of royal priesthood, our garment should have both bells and pom's, bells are gifts and we are gifted differently as not all those bells would sound differently (pitch, frequency and volume) like wise we have different gifts, it's these gifts we use to minister unto God's people and demonstrate the power of God. But that is not what God requires us of mostly, gifts are good and everyone is gifted in one way or the other inherently from his mother's womb probably even before then. God requires of us mostly to have fruit and and fruit is what will inherent the kingdom of God as very well expressed in Galatians chapter 5 and it's that fruit of the spirit that was represented by pomegranate on Aron's garment of priesthood. It's very common people bearing no fruit but still remain with gifts, we have seen this where some non believers could be even possessing gifts. Jesus is very clear on that in John 15, that every branch that bear no fruit (fruit but not gift) shall be cut off and later be burnt.
As christians we are ought to mind much on bearing fruit and then gifts also.
Gifts without fruits make senseless noise instead of doing communication as they out to do, because the acts will be denying your gifts if you have no fruit between your gifts.
I thank you for sharing, God's blessings to you all 🕊️ 🕊️
Post a Comment