The ordination ceremony of Aaron and his sons was very detailed and had deep spiritual significance.
There is the ceremonial ‘washing’ with water which speaks of baptism, where ‘all our sins are washed away’ (see Ps 51:2; Heb 10:22). Then there comes the tunic, sash and robe before the breast piece, turban and finally the sacred diadem. After this, the worship centre and its equipment are consecrated with special anointing oil and sacrifices are made
As I study the O.T. more and more I have become aware of numbers and their significance (8:33 -36). For seven days they remain inside the tabernacle. Seven is the number of completeness and I thoroughly recommend a study of the seven feasts of Israel. For seven days the priesthood is consecrated, and on the eighth day, they emerge from the Tabernacle and perform sacrifices for the Sin offering, Burnt offering and Peace offering with the promise to the people of Israel that ‘today the Lord will appear to you’ (9:1-4).
A study of the first three feasts of Israel that occur during what we call ‘passion week’ (seven days = a perfect week = a week of completeness!) shine incredible light on this consecration process.
Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th of Nissan (Saturday, so Palm Sunday is actually Palm Saturday). 4 days prior to Passover (the first feast), the sacrificial lamb would be presented to the priests for inspection, and it would be kept for 4 days until the time of the sacrifice. (Ex 12:1-6).
4 days later, Jesus goes out to the Mount of Olives after the Passover supper, where he is betrayed and handed over to the authorities. (Matthew 26: 26 -30). Jesus is crucified Wednesday 14th Nissan around mid-day (6th to 9th hour) and dies at about 3pm. All those crucified now need to be verified as dead and taken down and buried before sundown, when the Feast of Unleven Bread begins (the second feast), because this is a holy convocation day (Sabbath – Matthew 27:45-50).
Thus Jesus is in the grave 3 nights and 3 days from sundown 14th Nissan until sundown 17th Nissan (Matthew 27: 57 – 66).
Seven days have now passed from the time Jesus entered Jerusalem. Dawn of the first day of the following week, the eighth day, 18th Nissan, Sunday, is the Feast of First Fruits when Jesus rose from the dead and people saw the risen Lord! (Matthew 28:1-7).
While Aaron was anointed by Moses as the High priest for Israel in the O.T., so in the N.T. Jesus is anointed by God as the great high priest for all of mankind (Heb 4:14 – 5:10).
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Jesus is risen, and we have seen Him – Hallelujah! Amen.