La ciudad de refugio
La ley de la ciudad de refugio era un sistema de los tiempos del Antiguo Testamento que permitía a los que habían matado a alguien sin intención huir del vengador y salvar su vida. Los pecadores prisioneros en la ciudad de refugio podían regresar a su patria cuando moría el sumo sacerdote ungido. Esto es una sombra que nos enseña acerca de nuestras almas.[1] A través de la ley de la ciudad de refugio, podemos obtener la respuesta a las preguntas: ¿de dónde vino el alma del hombre?, ¿adónde irá?, y comprender los principios fundamentales para la salvación de nuestras almas.
La ciudad de refugio del Antiguo Testamento
Propósito
La ciudad de refugio se estableció para que aquellos que habían matado a alguien sin intención, huyeran del vengador de la sangre. Conforme a la ley del Antiguo Testamento, los homicidas tenían que pagar por sus pecados con su propia vida, y los familiares o parientes de las víctimas podían matar a los homicidas.[2] En el caso de una persona acusada de asesinato, se mantenía a salvo en la ciudad de refugio y era juzgada delante de la congregación para decidir si era homicida con o sin intención.[3]
“Habló Jehová a Moisés, diciendo: [...] os señalaréis ciudades, ciudades de refugio tendréis, donde huya el homicida que hiriere a alguno de muerte sin intención. Y os serán aquellas ciudades para refugiarse del vengador, y no morirá el homicida hasta que entre en juicio delante de la congregación.”
Ubicaciones
Las ciudades de refugio estaban ubicadas en seis ciudades de Israel, tres ciudades al oriente del río Jordán (Beser, Ramot en Galaad, Golán en Basán) y tres ciudades al occidente del río (Cedes en Galilea, Siquem, Hebrón).[4][5] Cada ciudad de refugio estaba a una distancia de unos 30 km, a la que se podía llegar de cualquier parte de Israel en tan solo un día. Era para prevenir que los fugitivos fueran asesinados mientras huían a la ciudad de refugio.[6]
Características
Los que habían cometido homicidio podían huir a la ciudad de refugio para proteger su vida, pero no todos estaban protegidos. Aquel que era hallado culpable de haber matado a alguien intencionalmente era condenado a muerte, aunque hubiera entrado en la ciudad de refugio.[7] Por el contrario, aquel de quien se determinaba que había matado a alguien sin intención, a través de un juicio, podía volver a la ciudad de refugio donde se había refugiado, y morar allí por un tiempo determinado. Su permanencia duraba hasta la muerte del sumo sacerdote, el cual fue ungido con el aceite santo. Si el sumo sacerdote moría pronto, significaba que serían liberados pronto y regresarían a su patria. Si moría mucho después, quería decir que podían volver a su patria tras un largo tiempo.
“ ‘But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled and the avenger of blood finds him outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. The accused must stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may he return to his own property.’ ”
The only way for those confined in the city of refuge to return to their home was through the death of the high priest. Until the death of the high priest, the murderers could not go back to their own land even if they paid a ransom.[8]
The Reality of the Law of City of Refuge
The Old Testament law is a shadow of the good things that are coming in the New Testament.[1] The law of the city of refuge from the Old Testament is also a shadow and a prophecy of the matter of the human soul.
Originally, Human Beings Are Sinners
Apostle Paul said that there is no one righteous on this earth.[9] The sinners who committed sins deserving of death and fled to the city of refuge, represent mankind. To help us realize this fact, Jesus taught us as follows:
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. . . . For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus came from heaven to the earth to seek and save the lost.[10] Since Jesus said that He came to seek the lost and that He came to call sinners, we can understand that all humans on this earth are sinners who were lost by sinning in heaven.
In the books of Ezekiel and Isaiah, there are examples that show our previous lives and our sins that caused us to be expelled from heaven.[11][12] The history of Adam and Eve being expelled from Eden for violating God’s law not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a copy showing that humans, who were angels in heaven, were expelled from heaven for having committed such sins.[13][14]
Jesus the High Priest
The Bible prophesied that the Most Holy would be anointed.
“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.”
It is written when the Most Holy is anointed, the transgressions will be over and sin will be put to an end. This means that the Most Holy God will appear as the Anointed One for the forgiveness of sins of mankind. It is Jesus Christ who came to this earth 2,000 years ago according to this prophecy.
Although he [Jesus] was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus came as the anointed high priest. The high priest, who was anointed holy in the city of refuge, is a prophecy about Jesus[10] who came to the earth to save mankind, sinners.
Earth, the City of Refuge
The sinners of the city of refuge are set free through the death of the high priest and return to their home. The Bible also tells us about our home where we will return through the death of Jesus the High Priest.
If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.
The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote that the country where the forefathers of faith longed to return is the heavenly country. This suggests that the fundamental home country that human beings should long for is heaven, not this earth, and that the earth is the city of refuge for sinners.
How to Return to Heavenly Country
In the Old Testament times, sinners confined in the city of refuge were able to return to their home only after the anointed high priest died. Likewise, humans who live on the earth, the spiritual city of refuge, can return to their heavenly home by the death of Jesus the High Priest. This is why Apostles Peter and Paul wrote that we could receive the forgiveness of sins through the death of Christ, that is, the blood of Christ’s sacrifice.[15][16] For the sinners of the city of refuge, receiving the forgiveness of sins means that they can go back to their home. In the Old Testament times, sinners in the city of refuge could not return to their home without the death (sacrifice) of the high priest. In the same way, there is no other way for us to go back to the heavenly country unless we receive the sacrificial blood of Christ the High Priest. Jesus taught us the way to receive His sacrifice. It is to keep the Passover of the new covenant.
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. . . . While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Jesus came to the earth as the high priest in the order of Melchizedek.[17] Just as Melchizedek gave blessings through bread and wine,[18] Jesus promised the forgiveness of sins to mankind through the bread and wine of the new covenant. Therefore, we cannot participate in the blood of Christ simply by thinking that we believe in Jesus. By keeping the Passover of the new covenant, we can return to our heavenly country through the sacrifice of Christ the High Priest.
See also
References
- ↑ 1,0 1,1 «Hebreos 10:1».
- ↑ «Leviticus 24:20–21».
- ↑ «Joshua 20:6–9».
- ↑ «Numbers 35:6–15».
- ↑ «Joshua 20:7–9».
- ↑ «Deuteronomy 19:3–6».
- ↑ «Numbers 35:16–21».
- ↑ «Numbers 35:32».
- ↑ «Romans 3:9–10».
- ↑ 10,0 10,1 «Luke 19:10».
- ↑ «Ezekiel 28:11–14».
- ↑ «Isaiah 14:4, 12–15».
- ↑ «Genesis 3».
- ↑ «Romans 5:12».
- ↑ «1 Peter 1:18–19».
- ↑ «Ephesians 1:7».
- ↑ «Hebrews 5:8–10».
- ↑ «Genesis 14:18–19».