I told you in my previous post that the one of the wonderful things about the rule of Equivalent Expressions is that it demonstrates the interconnected nature of the Scriptures. I find it interesting when there are strong connections by means of Equivalent Expression between books of the Bible which where written at far different times. Perhaps one of the most insightful connections I can give is an example between the book of Numbers and the book of Revelation.
The Offering of a Jealous Husband
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray, and is unfaithful to him, and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and is kept close, and she is defiled, and there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act; and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she isn’t defiled: then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: the tenth part of an efah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory. The priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD; and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water. The priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse. The priest shall cause her to swear, and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse. But if you have gone astray, being under your husband, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband:” then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “The LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell; and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”
“‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness. He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter. The priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the meal offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar. The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled, and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away: and the woman will be a curse among her people. If the woman isn’t defiled, but is clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed. —Numbers 5:11–28 (WEB:ME)
The Star “Wormwood”
Something truly interesting happens when a comparison is made between this passage, with it’s use of the expression “water bitterness,” and a similar expression used in the book of Revelation.
The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of the waters. The name of the star is called “Wormwood.” One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter. —Revelation 8:10–11 (WEB:ME)
Putting it all Together
Lets consider these two dissimilar passages in the light of the rule of Equivalence of Expressions:
Here we have the third Shofar (Trumpet) judgment where a star called “Wormwood” falls to earth and makes water bitter. (In many ancient languages, including Hebrew, “star” is used loosely to mean any luminous celestial body.) It seems reasonable then to conclude that this judgment occurs due to widespread infidelity. Among the world population at the time. Additionally, it seems reasonable that because God frequently views idolatry as being on equal footing with infidelity it further seems likely that this is a problem also. This conclusion seems further reinforced by references to both idolatry and sexual immorality throughout the book of Revelation.
Tags: hermeneutics, sages, seven rules of hillel