Covered in the Blood

[Mangy_Donkey]

With the business that I am in I get to meet a lot of interesting and certainly different people from all walks of life. Over the years I have had some make attempts to evangelize to me but surprisingly with the thousands and thousands of customers I could count on my hands how many times. Anyhow, here is this weeks conversation and would appreciate comments on it.

Customer: Are you covered in the blood?

Me: Well, if you mean that I believe that Christ shed his blood for sinners yes.

Customer: But are you covered in the blood, do you pray the blood on you and your
family?

**Me: ** Am I covered? Well like I said, I believe that Christ died for the sins of many
and consider him my Savior and the Savior of the world.

Customer: You don’t understand, you really should try and look into the old testament
tabernacle and then you would understand the necessity
for bring covered in the blood.

The conversation then went on to Baptism which we didn’t agree on but at least I knew what he was talking about.

 

[Apollos]

Hmm … I’ve had conversations like that. Good thing I spent a lot of time actually talking to such people, so that I would understand what they’re talking about on the first try. Most people just act like they’re crazy and then get all uncomfortable - you know, because “religion” is a taboo topic.

I suppose the conversation would have gone like this for me:

**Customer: **Are you covered in the blood?

**Me: **Yes, we we offer full coverage up to a lifetime maximum of one mil…

**Customer: **No, I mean are you covered in the blood of Jesus?

**Me: **No, we only offer coverage for you, your spouse, and your dependen…

**Customer: **No, no, ***are you ****covered in the blood, ***do you pray the blood on you and your family?

**Me: **Oh - yes, I am, and I do. Are you grafted into the vine?

**Customer: **Sorry?

**Me: **Are you grafted into the vine - are you in communion with the See of Peter - otherwise you will be unable to bear fruit of your own, you will wither, and be cast into the furnace.

**Customer: **John 15? That’s Jesus, not the pope.

**Me: **The Church is his body. Do you want a rider that covers amputations?

**Customer: **

 

[DianJo]

Absolutely awesome conversation!!! I love it! Do you want a rider to cover amputations!!! HAHAHA!!!

 

[De_Maria]

With the business that I am in I get to meet a lot of interesting and certainly different people from all walks of life. Over the years I have had some make attempts to evangelize to me but surprisingly with the thousands and thousands of customers I could count on my hands how many times. Anyhow, here is this weeks conversation and would appreciate comments on it.

Customer: Are you covered in the blood?

Me: Well, if you mean that I believe that Christ shed his blood for sinners yes.

Customer: But are you covered in the blood, do you pray the blood on you and your
family?

**Me: ** Am I covered? Well like I said, I believe that Christ died for the sins of many
and consider him my Savior and the Savior of the world.

Customer: You don’t understand, you really should try and look into the old testament
tabernacle and then you would understand the necessity
for bring covered in the blood.

The conversation then went on to Baptism which we didn’t agree on but at least I knew what he was talking about.

My conversation would probably go like this:

Customer: Are you covered in the blood?

Me: Well, if you mean that I believe that Christ shed his blood for sinners yes.

Customer: But are you covered in the blood, do you pray the blood on you and your
family?

Me: Yes, we attend daily Mass and within the Mass we partake of the Body and Blood of Our Lord. And every time we do, we proclaim His death until He comes:
1 Corinthians 11:26
**For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he **come.

So let me ask you, “do you partake of Jesus’ Body and Blood?” And if not, how do you consider yourself covered in His Blood?

 

[DaveBj]

Heheh. Reminds me of the lyric of a C&W song I’ve heard a couple times recently, about a boy’s future mother-in-law wanting to know if he’s been washed in the blood, or just in the water.

“…a rider that covers amputations…” –snicker

DaveBj

 

[bkayw]

“Customer: You don’t understand, you really should try and look into the old testament
tabernacle and then you would understand the necessity for bring covered in the blood.”

Technically speaking, it was the Ark of the Covenant - inside the Holy of Holies - that once a year on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) when the high priest would sprinkle the blood of a sacrificed goat on the mercy seat (an area on the top of the Ark between the two golden angels.

The Tabernacle was the tent, which Moses used out in the desert, to house the ark, the Ten Commandments, the jar of manna, and the branch of Jesse.

During the Temple Periods these were the activities for the one day of the year that the high priest could cleanse all Jews with the blood.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur

 

[bkayw]

On the day of Yom Kippur, the Kohen Gadol had to follow a precise order of services, sacrifices, and purifications:

Morning (Tamid) Offering The Kohen Gadol first performed the regular daily (Tamid) offering — usually performed by ordinary priests — in special golden garments, after immersing in a mikvah and washing his hands and feet.

Garment Change 1 The Kohen Gadol immersed in a special mikvah in the Temple courtyard and changed into special linen garments, and washed his hands and feet twice, once after removing the golden garments and once before putting on the linen garments.

Bull as Personal Sin-Offering The Kohen Gadol leaned (performed Semikha) and made a confession over the bull on behalf of himself and his household, pronouncing the Tetragrammaton. The people prostrated themselves when they heard. He then slaughtered the bull as a chatat (sin-offering) and received its blood in a bowl.

Lottery of the goats At the Eastern (Nikanor) gate, the Kohen Gadol drew lots from a lottery box over two goats. One was selected “for the Lord,” and one “for Azazel.” The Kohen Gadol tied a red band around the horns of the goat “for Azazel.”

Incense Preparation The Kohen Gadol ascended the mizbeach (altar) and took a shovel full of embers with a special shovel. He was brought incense. He filled his hands and placed it in a vessel. (The Talmud considered this the most physically difficult part of the service, as the Kohen Gadol had to keep the shovelful of glowing coals balanced and prevent its contents from dropping, using his armpit or teeth, while filling his hands with the incense).

Incense Offering Holding the shovel and the vessel, he entered the Kadosh Hakadashim, the Temple’s Holy of Holies. In the days of the First Temple, he placed the shovel between the poles of the Ark of the Covenant. In the days of the Second Temple, he put the shovel where the Ark would have been. He waited until the chamber filled with smoke and left.

Sprinkling of Bull’s Blood in the Holy of Holies The Kohen Gadol took the bowl with the bull’s blood and entered the Most Holy Place again. He sprinkled the bull’s blood with his finger eight times, before the Ark in the days of the First Temple, where it would have been in the days of the Second. The Kohen Gadol then left the Holy of Holies, putting the bowl on a stand in front of the Parochet (curtain separating the Holy from the Holy of Holies).

Goat for the Lord as Sin-Offering for Kohanim The Kohen Gadol went to the eastern end of the Israelite courtyard near the Nikanor Gate, laid his hands (semikha) on the goat “for the Lord,” and pronounced confession on behalf of the Kohanim (priests). The people prostrated themselves when he pronounced the Tetragrammaton. He then slaughtered the goat, and received its blood in another bowl.

Sprinkling of Goat’s Blood in the Holy of Holies The Kohen Gadol took the bowl with the goat’s blood and entered the Kadosh Hakadashim, the Temple’s Holy of Holies again. He sprinkled the goat’s blood with his finger eight times the same way he had sprinkled the bull’s blood. The blood was sprinkled before the Ark in the days of the First Temple, where it would have been in the days of the Second Temple. The Kohen Gadol then left the Kadosh Hakadashim, putting the bowl on a stand in front of the Parochet (curtain separating the Holy from the Holy of Holies).

Sprinkling of blood in the Holy Standing in the Hekhal (Holy), on the other side of the Parochet from the Holy of Holies, the Kohen Gadol took the bull’s blood from the stand and sprinkled it with his finger eight times in the direction of the Parochet. He then took the bowl with the goat’s blood and sprinkled it eight times in the same manner, putting it back on the stand.

Smearing of blood on the Golden (Incense) Altar The Kohen Gadol removed the goat’s blood from the stand and mixed it with the bull’s blood. Starting at the northeast corner, he then smeared the mixture of blood on each of the four corners of the Golden (Incense) altar in the Haichal. He then sprinkled the blood eight times on the altar.

 

[bkayw]

Goat for Azazel The Kohen Gadol left the Haichal and walked to the east side of the Azarah (Israelite courtyard). Near the Nikanor Gate, he leaned his hands (Semikha) on the goat “for Azazel” and confessed the sins of the entire people of Israel. The people prostrated themselves when he pronounced the Tetragrammaton. While he made a general confession, individuals in the crowd at the Temple would confess privately. The Kohen Gadol then sent the goat off “to the wilderness.” In practice, to prevent its return to human habitation, the goat was led to a cliff outside Jerusalem and pushed off its edge.

Preparation of sacrificial animals While the goat “for Azazel” was being led to the cliff, the Kohen Gadol removed the insides of the bull, and intertwined the bodies of the bull and goat. Other people took the bodies to the Beit HaDeshen (place of the ashes). They were burned there after it was confirmed that the goat “for Azazel” had reached the wilderness.
Reading the Torah After it was confirmed that the goat “for Azazel” had been pushed off the cliff, the Kohen Gadol passed through the Nikanor Gate into the Ezrat Nashim (Women’s Courtyard) and read sections of the Torah describing Yom Kippur and its sacrifices.

Garment change 2 The Kohen Gadol removed his linen garments, immersed in the mikvah in the Temple courtyard, and changed into a second set of special golden garments. He washed his hands and feet both before removing the linen garments and after putting on the golden ones.

Offering of Rams The Kohen Gadol offered two rams as an olah offering, slaughtering them on the north side of the mizbeach (outer altar), receiving their blood in a bowl, carrying the bowl to the outer altar, and dashing the blood on the northeast and southwest corners of the Outer Altar. He dismembered the rams and burned the parts entirely on the outer altar. He then offered the accompanying mincha (grain) offerings and nesachim (wine-libations).

Musaf Offering The Kohen Gadol then offered the Musaf offering.
Burning of Innards The Kohen Gadol placed the insides of the bull and goat on the outer altar and burned them entirely.

*Garment change 3 The Kohen Gadol removed his golden garments, immersed in the mikvah, and changed to a new set of linen garments, again washing his hands and feet twice.

Removal of Incense from the Holy of Holies The Kohen Gadol returned to the Holy of Holies and removed the bowl of incense and the shovel.

Garment Change 4 The Kohen Gadol removed his linen garments, immersed in the mikvah, and changed into a third set of golden garments, again washing his hands and feet twice.

Evening (Tamid) Offering The Kohen Gadol completed the afternoon portion of the regular (tamid) daily offering in the special golden garments. He washed his hands and feet a tenth time.

The Kohen Gadol wore five sets of garments (three golden and two white linen), immersed in the mikvah five times, and washed his hands and feet ten times. Sacrifices included two (daily) lambs, one bull, two goats, and two rams, with accompanying mincha (meal) offerings, wine libations, and three incense offerings (the regular two daily and an additional one for Yom Kippur). The Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies three times.

The Tetragrammaton was pronounced three times, once for each confession.[12]

 

[bkayw]

Symbolically, the Ark of the Covenant, contained the prefigured Jesus. Mary was the Ark.

The day of the cross, Jesus’ blood fell on Mary, John and the female members of the group that remained at His feet.

Sacramentally, the sinners on Jesus’ right and left, represent Christians in Confession or Reconciliation.

Protestant Christians (particularly Fundamentalists) who don’t have the fullness of faith sacramentally, are speaking about confession in the only way they know how.

 

[bkayw]

Shekhinah Blessing, Spock, Vulcan “Live Long and Prosper” and the Tetragrammaton Blessing

jcstudies.com/articleDetail.cfm?articleId=42

THE MAJESTIC CADENCE of the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim) has endeared itself to the hearts of believers for millennia and played a central role in Jewish and Christian liturgy.

Though simplicity is one of its hallmarks—the blessing consists of only fifteen words in Hebrew—the cadenced repetition of the sacred name, Adonai (Y/H/W/H), and the increasing crescendo of three, five and seven words respectively, compound its regal impact. After all, the words were dictated verbatim by the King of the universe!

The LORD spoke… “Thus shall you bless the Israelites:**The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face to shine upon you,and be gracious to you;the LORD lift up his countenance upon you,and give you peace.” **(Num 6:22-26)

Aaron and his descendants were authorized to pronounce the blessing over the children of Israel, but Adonai emphasizes that He alone is the source and guarantor of the blessing:

“So they shall put my name on the Israelites,and I myself will bless them!” (6:27).

IN BIBLICAL TIMES the Birkat Kohanim was recited daily in the First and Second Temples. A worshipper “with clean hands and a pure heart” who ascended the Holy Place bearing gifts—sacrifices and offerings of praise—would “carry away a blessing from the LORD” (Ps 24:5).

The liturgical centrality of the Priestly Blessing continues today in synagogues. In some, such as in Israel, the blessing is recited daily; in others it is reserved for special occasions like festivals.

Descendants of Aaron are still required to recite the blessing, which they do in the manner of old, **standing with hands extended upward and outward, the fingers separated like the Hebrew letter shin (a posture popularized as the Vulcan salute by Mr. Spock in Star Trek). **Their hands form a lattice as it were through which the Shekhinah blessing of HaShem shines through from Heaven.

WHAT DOES THIS ANCIENT blessing mean? The essential transaction revolves around placing the LORD’s name upon covenant people. Thus the Name is invoked three times for emphasis and focus. According to the Talmud the original name of Y/H/W/H was spoken by the priests at the Temple until the third century B.C.; thereafter Adonai (LORD) was substituted for the **Tetragrammaton **to protect its sanctity from those unworthy to hear it.

The God who creates is the God who covenants, and the covenant-keeping God takes for himself a treasured people who bear His name and for whom He cares and comforts, provides and protects. The Priestly Blessing therefore implores the LORD to be present to His people with a disposition of good will and favor.

Specifically the blessing addresses “you” in the singular, indicating that each person is important to God. Also, when Israel is “one” in unity, there God commands the blessing (Ps 133).

To “bless and keep” means to guard and protect, and is understood to apply especially to material needs: to grant you prosperity and success, and yet to protect you from becoming greedy and covetous. The Sages suggest that the best protection of wealth is to use it for charity and good deeds.

“To make His face to shine upon” is the opposite of “hiding His face” which implies anger or displeasure (cf.** Dt 31:17**). “Face” or panim is used idiomatically in Scripture to suggest affection and favor—i.e., to “show you a smiling face” (Rashi).

“To be gracious” is to extend mercy and to deal graciously with, including illuminating the Torah for our understanding.

“To lift up His face” again is an idiom meaning to look upon with favor. Queen Esther “found favor before his face” (8:5) when she approached the King on behalf of her people.

“To give you peace” is to grant freedom from strife and disorder and to bring harmony, wholeness and abundant well-being. Little wonder that shalom seals the Priestly Blessing.

This magnificent blessing tells us much about the character of the God of Israel. It also should say much about how then we shall live—as blessed people who in turn are disposed to bless others. When we extend the favor of the LORD toward one another we responsibly carry the Name this blessing places upon us.

 

[Zooey]

This person is most likely from one of the Pentecostal denominations. They tend to talk about “the blood” this way. It seems to serve for them, the same way that the question “are you saved?” does for Baptists (especially the fundamentalist ones). It assures them that you are genuinely Christian. (Some groups worry a lot about whether Catholics–as well as mainline Protestants like me–are actually Christian in their understanding).
The way to answer is to affirm your faith in Christ’s sacrifice as atonement for sins.
You might also take a look at some of the Catholic devotions to the blood of Christ. I believe there is a litany of the Precious Blood. It will give you the “language” (popularly referred to as “Christianese”) to express yourself in a way that will satisfy their worries.
HTH!!

 

[puzzleannie]

W

The conversation then went on to Baptism which we didn’t agree on but at least I knew what he was talking about.

you might politely ask him to show you in the Gospel what Jesus said about the topic he has introduced specifically. and you might show him what Jesus did say about eating his Body and drinking his Blood, and you might show him what Jesus did say about baptism, ie the absolute necessity of being born again of water and the Holy Spirit, and you might–get prepared first with a good Catholic resource–explore the meaning of the saints having been “washed in the blood of the Lamb” in Revelation.

 

[gcnuss]

you might politely ask him to show you in the Gospel what Jesus said about the topic he has introduced specifically. and you might show him what Jesus did say about eating his Body and drinking his Blood, and you might show him what Jesus did say about baptism, ie the absolute necessity of being born again of water and the Holy Spirit, and you might–get prepared first with a good Catholic resource–explore the meaning of the saints having been “washed in the blood of the Lamb” in Revelation.

You beat me to Revelation. As I read through this thread, I was thinking of Revelation 7:13 -

13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal ;they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

And, I could add some references to our Lord’s blood found in communion hymns we sing: (all quotations from the Lutheran Book of Worship)

At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing (from verse 1)
“At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious king,
Who has washed us in the tide
Flowing from his pierced side.”

Draw near and take the body of the Lord (from verse 1)
“Draw near and take the body of the Lord
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured…”

Thee We adore, O Hidden Savior (from verse 3)
“Fountain of goodness, Jesus, Lord and God:
Cleanse us, unclean, with thy most cleansing blood…”

Of course, I don’t know if any of these would sway someone who asks “do you pray the blood of Christ on you” if they have no concept of or belief in the Real Presence.