The hidden Bible code-- “Salvation”
and “Mikveh” in Genesis 1:2-3?
From the very beginning, God
always associated “water” and “Spirit” with creation:
Genesis 1:2-3
“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
No wonder He associates that
same “water and spirit” with our new creation!
John 3:5
Jesus
answered, "I tell you the truth, unless one
is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God.
While using the
controversial hidden bible code is certainly not being advocated to
prove doctrine, it is nonetheless quite interesting to find the Hebrew words, “salvation”
and “mikveh” intersecting in the hidden Bible code in Genesis 1:2-3
where God mentions “water” and “Spirit”. Is God trying to tell
us something about baptism?
What is “Mikvah”? (or
mikveh)
Some might be surprised to
learn that Christian baptism actually has its roots in Judaism. During Jesus’
time, as today, Gentiles who wish to convert to Judaism immerse themselves in a
water bath called a mikveh.* This procedure is called tevillah.
“The baptismal water (Mikveh) in rabbinic literature was
referred to as the womb of the world, and as a convert came out of the water it
was considered a new birth separating him from the pagan world. As the convert
came out of these waters his status was changed and he was referred to as “a
little child just born” or “a child of one day” (Yeb. 22a; 48b; 97b). We see
the New Testament using similar Jewish terms as “born anew,” “new creation,”
and “born from above.”
Regarding the practice
of baptizing proselytes, Lightfoot,
in Horae Hebraicae explains:
“As soon as he
grows whole of the wound of circumcision, they bring him to Baptism, and being
placed in the water they again instruct him in some weightier and in some
lighter commands of the Law. Which being heard, he plunges himself and comes
up, and, behold, he is an Israelite in all things.”
*Glossary of Jewish terms
“Mikvah” –
(f., pl. “Mikvaot”); a ritual pool of water, used for the purpose of attaining
ritual purity. Immersion in a Mikvah is performed for the following main
purposes:
It is used in connection with
Repentance, to remove the impurity of sin.
It is also used in connection
with Conversion,
because the convert has taken upon himself or herself to adopt the lifestyle of
the Jew, that is based on the recognition of G-d as King of the Universe and on
the obligation to perform the commandments of the Torah.
For additional insight:
Even today, Jewish people
still practice “tevillah” which is what Christians would call baptism. This is
the same type of full water immersion in a “aptistery”—which Jewish people call
a “mikvah”. It is a “baptism” where Christ is actually rejected or denied. Yes,
Jewish people still practice this (and have been since at least Christ’s time).
It was around back then and is the background context in which the conversation
between Nicodemus and Jesus took place. The ancient application of Mikvah is
and was practiced for several different reasons, one of which is for
conversion to Judaism. Click here and the global directory
photo gallery to see an external, Jewish site for more
information on Mikvah.
This page added: September 2, 2004