Crown Of Thorns

Most Christians would recognize the hymn “Crown Him With Many Crowns”. Normally, that makes me think of Revelation. 

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.

But we know that Jesus wore a different crown during His trial and crucifixion - a crown of thorns. What is the significance of this? Any symbolism? Let’s explore the subject of thorns to see what the Bible reveals.

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We first encounter thorns in Genesis. Adam and Eve have eaten the forbidden fruit, and God is sentencing them. 

Gen 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; 

Cursed is the ground because of you;

With hard labor you shall eat from it

All the days of your life.

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;

Yet you shall eat the plants of the field;

Technically, it was the ground that was cursed, not Adam. A curse on Adam would have expired when Adam died (though Eve's curse didn't expire with her), but this curse is on the ground, meaning it is on everyone after Adam as well. The Hebrew reveals a wordplay here. The man’s name was Adam; ground is adamah. He was named Adam because he was taken from adamah. “Cursed is the adamah for your sake”. 

Thorn Bushes, Trees, Thistles, Gardening 

Honey Locust Thorn Tree

Thorns grow on bushes and trees. The buckthorn tree seems to be the most hated in Minnesota where I live, and it’s not even a native species. A friend described buckthorn as pernicious, hard to kill, and it crowds out other trees. The honey locust tree, which grows from Iowa southward, has thorns 4 to 8 inches long Wikipedia(honey_locust) [1]. Besides trees like buckthorn and honey locust, there are many varieties of thorn bushes; some of them like roses sold as ornamental hedges. There are also many varieties of thistles, like Bull thistle, Cockleburs, Raspberry, and Blackberry. The Bible has 21 words for thorns and thistles - FlowersInIsrael [2]. Despite Jer_12:13  “They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns”. I have never seen thorns in a garden - I have pulled thistles though.

Acacia

One type of thorn tree mentioned by name in the Bible is the acacia. Acacia is the only wood used to build the furniture of the Tabernacle, including the Ark of the Covenant, which was overlaid with gold. In large areas of the desert lands of the Negev and Sinai, acacia trees are the only trees. Acacia is thorny, the wood is dense, and the grain of the wood is gnarly and changes direction. It is resistant to decay, and unpalatable to insects, making an ideal material for building items that would need to be durable and long lasting, such as the Tabernacle. But it is difficult to work with. We are like acacia wood, gnarly and difficult, but like the ark, God plans to cover us with gold - AcaciaWood [3].

 

Thorns Are a Curse

 

Many of life's difficulties can be pictured by thorns.

Pro 22:5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;

One who guards himself will be far from them.

 

Consider expressions involving thorns         

Thorn in the flesh

        Thorn in the side

        Thorny issue/problem

        There’s no rose without a thorn

        Bed of thorns

 

The righteous are portrayed as trees, or vines, but problem people are called thorns.

Ps 1:3 He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Ps 128:3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table.

Num 33:55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell.

 Some translations read “thorns in your EYES”.

Consider words in the English language that can be used to describe characteristics of people.

Thorny

Prickly

Sharp tongue

Abrasive (thistles)

How about sarcastic?

Sarcasm comes from the Ancient Greek sarx (flesh), derived from the verb sarkázein (σαρκάζειν), which means to tear flesh. A sarcastic remark, therefore, is one that “pulls off flesh,” that is, a remark that hurts - trnslate,org [4]. Doesn’t that sound like a thorn?

Thorns and Briars to be Destroyed

The ultimate fate of thorns is fire. 

Heb 6:8 but if it [the ground] yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Thorns will not exist in the Kingdom of God. 

Eze 28:24 And there will no longer be for the house of Israel a painful thorn or a hurtful thorn bush from any surrounding them who despised them; then they will know that I am the Lord God.”

 

How will the curse of thorns be lifted?

Thorns will be removed because Christ took the curse on Himself.

 Mt 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort to Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a red cloak on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 

These were Roman soldiers; they mocked Jesus, and pressed that crown of thorns down hard. It is like the sacrifices in the Tabernacle.

 

After the animal has been presented and has passed the priest's inspection, the worshiper lays his hand on the animal's head, pressing down upon it heavily (Lev 1:4, 3:2, 8 13; etc). The Hebrew verb for this gesture samak (from which this rite is dubbed semika), denotes more than merely laying one’s hand upon the animal, but rather means to press down on or lean on with heavy pressure. Lev 1:4 reads "then he shall lean (samak) his hand on the head of the ascension offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him". The result of this gesture, therefore, the animal now stands as a vicarious substitute for the worshiper, with the specific end of making atonement on his behalf - that is presenting the Israelite before God, reconciled and accepted. Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord, Morales p127 [5].

Reverse the Curse 

In a sense, thorns are a curse AND the symbol of the curse on the earth from Gen 3.

Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”.

 Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse:

The Gen 3 curse, symbolized by thorns, was pressed onto Christ's head as a crown of thorns. The ultimate fulfillment will come when He returns and finishes lifting the curse.

What started in one garden (Eden), ended in another garden (Gethsemane). Though it won't be complete till He returns. 

Eden means Delight, Finery, Luxury - abarim(Eden) [6].

Gethsemane means Oil Press, from gat, press, and shaman fat - abarim(Gethsemane) [7].

What began with Adam, will end with Jesus (the second Adam). Luke calls Adam the son of God, Jesus referred to Himself as the son of Man. 

Lk 3:38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

 

Conclusion

I can get anxious reading headlines and watching world events. But when I see the wonders in God’s word, like the theme of thorns throughout the Bible, like the symbolism of Christ taking the crown of thorns on His own head, it calms me down, knowing He’s in charge. 

We keep the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, a memorial of Israel leaving Egypt, which pictures each of us making a journey from slavery to freedom – a journey which takes a lifetime. We can’t escape from slavery to sin on our own, any more than the Israelites could escape Egypt on their own. Neither can we undo the curse of thorns placed on the earth 6000 years ago. Only Jesus could do that by taking the crown of thorns on His own head. Sometimes we have to listen to what Moses told Israel before they crossed the Red Sea. 

Ex 14:13 And Moses said to the people, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD

References 

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_locust

2. http://www.flowersinisrael.com/PlantsoftheBibleThistle_page.htm

3. https://hughnemets.com/interesting-facts-about-acacia-wood

4. https://trnslate.org/origin-of-sarcasm/

5. https://www.christianbook.com/who-shall-ascend-the-mountain-lord/michael-morales/9780830826384/pd/826384

6. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Eden.html

7. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Gethsemane.html

A Tale Of Two Sons

Abraham and Isaac

Jews and Christians alike are familiar with the story in Gen 22 where Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac. Much has been written about it, and it even is referred to simply as the Binding or Akedah in Hebrew. It is a famous story. "It is one of the most widely read passages of Scripture in the Jewish liturgy, recited during every morning service and also during Rosh Hashanah" - The Akedah - the Binding of Isaac [1]. And believers know that the Binding is a foreshadow of God the Father sacrificing his Son Jesus Christ. Searching for parallels between Isaac and Jesus yields at least 30 Similarities [2], including these, you can easily find other lists.

• Each son is called the only son of his father.
• The sons had been born with divine intervention.
• Both were named by God before birth
• The son was laid upon the wood/cross, which they carried.
• Both were obedient unto death.
• The sacrifices take place near each other (Mt. Moriah OT, Mt. Calvary NT).

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But "Abraham had TWO sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman" - Galatians 4:22. In the Gen 22 account, Isaac is referred to as Abraham's only son "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." There are several explanations of this seeming contradiction - Yahoo Answers [3].

• "Abram" was the father of Ishmael and "Abraham" was the father of Isaac: thus "Abraham" had only one son.
• Ishmael was the son of a concubine and not an heir.
• Ishmael and Hagar had been disowned by and legally removed from the family.
• Isaac is the only son of the promise, the covenant.

Ishmael was 13 years older than Isaac

Paul uses the two sons of Abraham to talk about the two covenants. But there is another, older connection between the boys. While Genesis 22 gets read frequently, Genesis 21 is not so widely known. Genesis 21 is the account of Ishmael and Hagar being banished from the family of Abraham. Where else have we seen this - one sacrificed, one sent away?

Like Cain and Abel [4], the story of Isaac and Ishmael foreshadows a ceremony at the Tabernacle hundreds of years later. Consider this, one was (almost) sacrificed, one was sent away. This is exactly what happens during Yom Kippur, Day of Atonement in English. Two goats were selected, one goat sacrificed for the Lord, and one goat (Azazel) to be removed, Azazel in Hebrew is often translated scapegoat in English. The Azazel goat bore the guilt of the nation of Israel. This has been brought out by Julia Blum in her book Abraham Had Two Sons [5].

Consider these very specific parallels

The High Priest lays hands on the live goat
and puts the sins of Israel on its head

Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering -  Lev 16:15
Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son (Isaac). - Gen 22:10

Send it (Azazel) away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. - Lev 16:21
He (Abraham) gave it and the boy (Ishmael) to Hagar, and sent her away. - Gen 21:14

He shall release the goat in the wilderness. - Lev 16:22
Ishmael grew and dwelt in the wilderness. Gen 21:20

The supernatural son Isaac represents righteousness, and he was (almost) sacrificed. The natural son Ishmael represents sin and was sent away. It is not a perfect parallel with Leviticus 16 because the order is backwards. Ishmael was sent away before Isaac was sacrificed. And of course Isaac wasn't actually killed like the goat. And unlike the Azazel, Ishmael must have stayed in contact because we read in Genesis 25:7 that both Isaac and Ishmael buried their father Abraham.

But like Cain and Abel [4], the parallel between Isaac and Ishmael with the two goats of Leviticus 16 is there.

But God Had Two Sons

We realize that Isaac (and the first goat) represent Jesus the Messiah as we discussed above. But what about Ishmael and the Azazel goat? Who do they represent?

The Churches of God teach that Satan is represented by the Azazel goat. See how this will play out in the future.

Rev 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

God: the most popular
scapegoat for our sins

The dragon is Satan, the Azazel who "shall bear on itself all their iniquities" because he "deceived the nations". The angel is the "man who stands in readiness" some translations say "a fit man", the abyss is the wilderness. You can read more about The Day of Atonement at United Church of God God's Holy Day Plan - Atonement [6].

Others disagree with this interpretation, and teach that Jesus fulfills the symbolism of of the both goats. As best I can tell, because Jesus is righteous, He does not fit the symbolism associated with Azazel.

But we just saw other lesser types of the two goats, like Cain and Abel, and like Isaac and Ishmael, perhaps there is another type that fulfills the two goats. That is, maybe there is an Old Testament fulfillment of the two goats. Julia Blum makes that argument in Abraham Had Two Sons [5].

Christians are used to the phrase "son of God". Plenty of verses show that believers are considered sons of God even in this life, like this one, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" -  Romans 8:14. But there are only two that God calls "My Son" and "firstborn" in the Bible. Most will guess Jesus as one of them, "Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son (Jesus), My Chosen One; listen to Him!” - Luke 9:35. And  "He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead so that he himself may become first in all things." - Col 1:18.

The other is the nation of Israel, "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is My son, My firstborn." - Exodus 4:22. Both points in one verse. We don't normally think of an entire nation as a son, but that's what it says.

It's straightforward to see that Jesus fulfills the type of the sacrificed goat. How does the nation of Israel fulfill the type of the Azazel? Julia Blum:

Every Christian and Messianic believer knows that Genesis 22 symbolizes the Sacrifice of Yeshua and that Isaac going to the altar in Genesis 22 is a type of Yeshua. However, if we follow this logic, then we realize that Genesis 21 symbolizes the part of the sacrifice that was sent–alive–to bear the sins and iniquities of the peoples. Thus, Ishmael, the son who was sent into the wilderness, is a type of… Israel, the scapegoat!

Possible migration of the ten "lost" tribes

Consider what happened to the nation of Israel, it was one kingdom under Kings Saul, David and Solomon. Then in the days of Solomon's son, it split in two, the Southern kingdom dominated by the tribe of Judah, the Northern kingdom dominated by the tribe of Ephraim, but also called Samaria. The Northern kingdom fell away from God more quickly than the Southern kingdom, and it was exiled first, becoming known as the Ten Lost Tribes. Read a more thorough history at The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy [7].

2 Kings 7:23 The LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.

The Southern kingdom were more righteous, but their sins caught up with them and were also taken captive.

Like the Assyrians, the Babylonians deported vanquished peoples to maintain tighter control over conquered territories.
As their cousins in the northern kingdom of Israel fell into captivity by Assyria more than a century earlier, Judah's inhabitants now were taken to Babylon. The Downfall of Judah—Exile to Babylon [8]

Both kingdoms were exiled due to idolatry, exile being likened to the wilderness. The Jews never lost their national identity like the rest of the tribes of Israel.

That is the parallel with the Azazel goat, Israel the firstborn son was exiled, sent away. Jesus, also called the firstborn son, parallels the first goat, sacrificed for sin.  And in a counter-intuitive twist, in this instance Ishmael represents Israel. Israel was sent away before Jesus was sacrificed like Ishmael was sent away before Isaac was (almost) sacrificed. In a sense, the second goat was a prophecy that Israel would be exiled to the wilderness of this world. Judah returned to Jerusalem, but was exiled again after the destruction of the second Temple in 70AD, miraculously returning to their homeland in the 20th century. That is, Judah was sent away after Jesus' sacrifice.

Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, one was sacrificed, one was sent away.

God had two sons, Jesus and the nation of Israel, one was sacrificed, one was sent away.

References

1. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/Akedah/akedah.html

2. https://derekspain.com/2014/03/10/the-answers-30-similarities/

3. https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071211132625AACGfxt

4. http://jlfreeman-1.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-tale-of-two-siblings.html

5. https://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Had-Sons-Julia-Blum/dp/1517737966

6. https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/atonement-removal

7. https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/the-united-states-and-britain-in-bible-prophecy

8. http://www.ucg.ca/booklets/bible-and-archaeology-part-2/downfall-judah-exile-babylon