When the Urim is mentioned here it is, - of course, - shorthand for the Urim and Thummim what were the Urim and Thummim?

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1 THE URIM AND THUMMIM Ex. 28:30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. The Lord has taken Moses into a mountain range known as the Abarim ( regions beyond ), in which we find Mount Nebo. This mountain range is on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, and to the south-east of Jericho. Moses had led the children of Israel through the wilderness for over forty years and the Lord was telling him to get up onto the mountain and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. 13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. 14 For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin (Num. 27). He is about to die and Joshua is ready to replace him, a new high priest is also being inaugurated, v.18 Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; 19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. 20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. Notice the official posture God determined 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word [ the word of the Urim] shall they go out, and at his word [ the word of the Urim] they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. When the Urim is mentioned here it is, - of course, - shorthand for the Urim and Thummim what were the Urim and Thummim? The breastplate was doubled to make a pouch, and in this pouch there were two implements they were probably two stones, very probably precious stones but for some reason known only to Himself, God does not make it clear as to what exactly the Urim and Thummim were. Some commentators make suggestions though. One of the most popular views is When someone needed counsel, he would come and stand before the high priest who would, in turn, seek counsel from the Urim and Thummim. The high priest would have put his hands into the pouch inside the breastplate, where there were two stones the same size and shape, - they felt the same to the high priest but they were different.

2 2 As the enquirer stood in expectation the high priest would move the stones about in the pouch and one would be chosen to indicate God s decision hence the name, the breastplate of judgment. Basically, one stone had Yes on it, and the other had No and the priest would word the question appropriately to achieve a Yes or No answer. However, this popular view is contrary to Scripture because the responses were to be given in an audible voice. Let s keep pushing on though to see if we can find the Biblical significance of the Urim and Thummim Rather than getting bogged down and trying to discover something that the Holy Spirit chose not to explain clearly, perhaps it is more helpful relating the Urim and Thummim to the Lord Jesus. (It is the process of working backwards and seeking to understand an Old Testament mystery by using New Testament truth.) When we look into the Septuagint (the Old Testament in Greek, translated in various stages between the third and the first centuries BC) it amplifies the meaning for us, - th.n dh,lwsin kai. th.n avlh,qeian (i.e. the revelation and the truth). Jesus Christ was the Manifestation, - the dh,lwsin and the Urim, - of God on earth, i.e. the revelation of God, Jn. 1:14 the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,). Similarly, Paul wrote to the Galatians, 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles and again in Eph. 1:17 the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Peter uses it like this too, I Pet. 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

3 So did John, Rev. 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. God has revealed Himself to this world through Jesus, - God is Jesus in the second Person of the Godhead He is the Alpha and Omega John saw on the Island of Patmos (Rev. 1:8), and the Author and the Finisher of our faith the writer to the Hebrews speaks about in 12:2. Therefore, Jesus Christ was the Manifestation, - the dh,lwsin, the Urim, - the Revelation the Light of God. John the Baptist testified to that Light, Jn. 1:8 he was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, for there was only one Light, and He said, Jn. 8:12 I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Urim ( manifestation ) What about the Thummim? That is more straightforward to see because it was simply translated into the Septuagint as truth. Again, in Jn. 1:14, Jn. 1:14 the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. In Jn 3:21 the New Testament understanding of the Thummim and the Urim are connected together, he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Not only did Jesus bring the Truth, He is the Truth, Jn. 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life. And John also speaks about the Spirit of Truth (14:17; 15:26; 16:13 when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth). It was the purpose of the Urim and Thummim to guide the Old Testament people of God into all truth! Jn. 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. When Jesus was being judged by Pilate, Jn. 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. And then Pilate walked off, saying to himself and those around them, v.38 What is truth? even though he had already met, - and he knew, - that Jesus Christ is truth personified! (I find in him no fault at all, - that is truth!) 3

4 4 Is there an allusion to the Urim and Thummim in II Cor. 4:2? Remember Paul had been a studious Pharisee, 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. In other words, the use of the Urim and Thummim in the Old Testament has been replaced by the truth that is the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament and it is in accordance with Him, - the Truth, - that the New Testament (Covenant) believers seek to imitate, I Cor. 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. You see, the Urim and Thummim were intended to be used by the high priest to make known the perfect mind and will of God to His people In the New Testament we see Jesus living His earthly life in accordance with the will and plan of God, for God s glory, and we see Him as our example to follow, - He has taken over from the old Urim and Thummim! The old Urim and Thummim pointed forward to and spoke of Him. Through Him God and His truth are manifested Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3). Look also at James 1:17, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights [Urim], with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, - He is perfect, He is truth [Thummim] v.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth. Yes, I believe it is possible to see in this way how the Urim and Thummim pointed forward to and have been replaced by the Lord Jesus. And since we are not sure what the Urim and Thummim were exactly, so, - as far as God is concerned, - it must not be all that important for us to need to know but the Bible draws us the clearest picture as to Jesus being the Light and the Truth. We don t need to wonder about Him the way we do about the Urim and Thummim, the Bible describes Jesus clearly for us, as much as we need to know about Him here on earth and yet, - like the Urim and Thummim, - there is still a mystery surrounding Him, I Jn. 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we

5 5 know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And the mystery will never disappear. Even in Heaven, there remains a wonderful mystery about Him. Yes, He is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24), we are joint-heirs with Him (Rom. 8:17) but there is still a wonderful mystery about Him, - John wrote about it in the Book of Revelation. Peter remembered it also as he wrote how he and the other two disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration were eyewitnesses of his majesty II Pet. 1:16. It would have been an awesome moment standing in front of the high priest as he set out to determine the mind and will of God using the Urim and Thummim but under the new covenant the old has been superseded in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are given a glimpse into the mind of God through His Son, as Paul put it, Phil. 3:8 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him. That was the purpose of the Urim and Thummim, - for the priest to make known the mind of God and, as priests under the new covenant we must also pursue after His will, to find out what He desires for us, - i.e. His will for us, - in His Son and through His Word.