Immersion and cleansing in Judaism and on into Christianity
the Mikveh - John the Baptist
Baptism is a Greek translation of tevila, meaning Immersion.
It is usually done in a Mikveh which means a pool where water has gathered. A Mikveh is an essential in any Synagogue and they were also part of the temple.
Immersion is / was not for physical cleaning; that would have been done beforehand. It is for Spiritual cleansing in a purification ceremony.
The terms Purity and Impurity are inadequate translations from the Hebrew and give a physical rather than spiritual sound to the process.
Immersion is conducted for various occasions.
Women after childbirth or menstruation
A bride before her wedding
Priests (in the Temple) before divine service
Men on the eve of Yom Kippur (also optionally, before Shabbat)
For converts to Judaism
In preparation of a dead person for burial
For new kitchen utensils
(There are separate Mikvot for men, women, the dead and for utensils)
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Hezekiah's Tunnel, where it comes out
at the Pool of Siloam, counts as a mikveh.
The author met a young Jewish man who had just been into the tunnel to immerse himself in readiness for the upcoming holy day. |
The above throws some light on the ministry of Yochanan, John the Baptist. ( Read Matthew ch3, Mark ch1, Luke ch3 and John ch1.)
The birth of Yochanan is recorded in Luke ch1, where we note that his father was a priest ministering in the Temple. So John was of the priestly line as well as being a child of special promise of God, as the one who would prepare the way for Messiah after the manner of Elijah. It is believed that John should have been High Priest at the time when he commenced his ministry in the Jordan wilderness, but the priesthood had become corrupt and had been bought by men with wealth and influence.
Jesus submitted to baptism by John, in spite of John's reservations, "to fulfill all righteousness". ( Matt 3 v15) John was, as the legitimate high priest, initiating Jesus who he had identified as "the Lamb of God" into the priesthood. He was not immersing him for repentance for sin.
After baptizing Jesus, seeing the Spirit descend on him as a dove and hearing the voice from heaven, John was happy to recede into the background.
Baptism (Immersion ) was instituted or continued by Yeshua himself in one of His last commands to His followers. This was for Jews and Gentiles who came to believe in the risen Jesus and join the early church. ( see Matt 28 v18-20 "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Remember, in all these verses, a full translation to English would have the word Immersing or immersed instead of the Greek, baptizing or baptized.
In Acts 8 v14-16 we read, "When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus." Baptism/immersion was obviously normal practice, but not the final thing needed.
In Acts 22 v14-16 it is said to Paul, "`The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'"
Paul said, in Romans 6 v2-6 "We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
And for the life connection read what Paul said in Galatians 3 v26-27 "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
Baptism by total immersion is practiced by Baptists and other evangelical denominations, but the connection to Jewish practice is not generally appreciated.
Baptism by sprinkling is a contradiction in terms.
This picture shows a baptism at Elisha's Spring in Jericho. The candidate had become a Christian a while before, and wished to be baptized as a public declaration about what Jesus had done for her. She went down under the water, as in dying with Christ, and came up to newness of life in him.
The origin of "Baptism" as immersion is significant, and this comes out in the Complete Jewish Bible translation of Matthew 28 v19 and Mark 1. Here the word talks of new believers being "immersed into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach ha Kodesh" (Holy Spirit) Ponder on that!
The author is unable to explain baptism of infants or Baptism by sprinkling.
David Baron - (The Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah) points out that the "fountain" (Hebrew Maqor ) of Zechariah 13 v1 is not the modern picture of a fountain but of a dug out cistern or pool or spring where water is gathered - that is the description of a Mikveh where priests are immersed for cleansing or consecration. He also points out that that fountain for cleansing has existed since Yeshua died on the tree, but it will be opened to the House of David when the Holy Spirit applies it; as He has for every individual who is brought to faith by having the spirit of Grace and supplication poured on him or her ( Zech 12 v10) .
((Zech 13 v1) On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.)