Mount Moriah and Golgotha

The Hebrew word "רמז" (remez) ≈ "remez". There are many places in the Old Testament that have hint of what can be considered a "remez".

From the Hebrew, a "remez" is a hint of some deeper meaning.

A "remez" is a form of what in the security field is called "steganography". That is, a message concealed such that it does not, at first glance, appear that there is a hidden message there.

GNT (Greek New Testament) example: parables

More: Steganography: hidden messages

The crucifixion of Jesus on Golgotha appears to appear as Hebrew "remez" or hint of something deeper in the story of the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham.

Isaac was somewhere from 25 to 35 years old and not the child as often portrayed.

Let us look at just a few key verses in the story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac, who by Jewish tradition was about 30 years old.

Abraham lived to the age of 175 years. Sarah was 99 when she gave birth. How old is that in terms of today?

Pastors who do not account for that difference may be providing listeners an incorrect perception of what happened.

Abraham and Sarah bar chart

By (linear proportional) analogy: 175 years is to 70 years as 99 years is to 40 years.

This is old to give birth but not like a woman 99 years old today.

Genesis 22:2

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KJV: And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Hebrew: ויאמר קח נא את בנך את יחידך אשר אהבת את יצחק ולך לך אל ארץ המריה והעלהו שם לעלה על אחד ההרים אשר אמר אליך׃

Greek: και ειπεν λαβε τον υιον σου τον αγαπητον ον ηγαπησας τον ισαακ και πορευθητι εις την γην την υψηλην και ανενεγκον αυτον εκει εις ολοκαρπωσιν εφ εν των ορεων ων αν σοι ειπω

Genesis 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. [kjv]

και ειπεν λαβε τον υιον σου τον αγαπητον ον ηγαπησας τον ισαακ και πορευθητι εις την γην την υψηλην και ανενεγκον αυτον εκει εις ολοκαρπωσιν εφ εν των ορεων ων αν σοι ειπω [lxx]

Abraham goes to Mount Moriah. By Jewish tradition, Isaac was about 33 years old when this happened, about the same age as Jesus when he was crucified. A prophet did not start his career until age 30.

At the end of the first century, Josephus, in his history of the Jews, gives the age of Isaac as 25.

Isaac was not a young child as often portrayed in books for children or in many sermons by pastors.

More: Flavius Josephus

Genesis 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. [kjv]

τη ημερα τη τριτη και αναβλεψας αβρααμ τοις οφθαλμοις ειδεν τον τοπον μακροθεν [lxx]

22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. [kjv]

Did God provide a lamb for a burnt offering?

Genesis 22:4

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KJV: Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

Hebrew: ביום השלישי וישא אברהם את עיניו וירא את המקום מרחק׃

Greek: τη ημερα τη τριτη και αναβλεψας αβρααμ τοις οφθαλμοις ειδεν τον τοπον μακροθεν

Genesis 22:8

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KJV: And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Hebrew: ויאמר אברהם אלהים יראה לו השה לעלה בני וילכו שניהם יחדו׃

Greek: ειπεν δε αβρααμ ο θεος οψεται εαυτω προβατον εις ολοκαρπωσιν τεκνον πορευθεντες δε αμφοτεροι αμα

Genesis 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. [kjv]

22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. [kjv]

What does it mean that "In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen"? What will be seen on this mountain? What did Abraham see? Where exactly is this mountain?

Genesis 22:12

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KJV: And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Hebrew: ויאמר אל תשלח ידך אל הנער ואל תעש לו מאומה כי עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלהים אתה ולא חשכת את בנך את יחידך ממני׃

Greek: και ειπεν μη επιβαλης την χειρα σου επι το παιδαριον μηδε ποιησης αυτω μηδεν νυν γαρ εγνων οτι φοβη τον θεον συ και ουκ εφεισω του υιου σου του αγαπητου δι εμε

Genesis 22:14

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KJV: And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Hebrew: ויקרא אברהם שם המקום ההוא יהוה יראה אשר יאמר היום בהר יהוה יראה׃

Greek: και εκαλεσεν αβρααμ το ονομα του τοπου εκεινου κυριος ειδεν ινα ειπωσιν σημερον εν τω ορει κυριος ωφθη

Latin: appellavitque nomen loci illius Dominus videt unde usque hodie dicitur in monte Dominus videbit

2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. [kjv]

και ηρξατο σαλωμων του οικοδομειν τον οικον κυριου εν ιερουσαλημ εν ορει του αμορια ου ωφθη κυριος τω δαυιδ πατρι αυτου εν τω τοπω ω ητοιμασεν δαυιδ εν αλω ορνα του ιεβουσαιου [lxx]

There was a Jebusite threshing floor at Mount Moriah. Over a thousand years later, Solomon began to build the Temple of the Lord on this site.

2 Chronicles 3:1

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KJV: Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Hebrew: ויחל שלמה לבנות את בית יהוה בירושלם בהר המוריה אשר נראה לדויד אביהו אשר הכין במקום דויד בגרן ארנן היבוסי׃

Greek: και ηρξατο σαλωμων του οικοδομειν τον οικον κυριου εν ιερουσαλημ εν ορει του αμορια ου ωφθη κυριος τω δαυιδ πατρι αυτου εν τω τοπω ω ητοιμασεν δαυιδ εν αλω ορνα του ιεβουσαιου

Jesus told the Jews that Abraham saw his day, the day of Jesus.

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. [kjv]

The Jewish leaders instead talk about Jesus seeing Abraham, getting it backwards!

8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? [kjv]

ειπαν ουν οι ιουδαιοι προς αυτον πεντηκοντα ετη ουπω εχεις και αβρααμ εωρακας [gnt]

When did Abraham see the day of Jesus?

Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. [kjv]

John 8:56

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KJV: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Greek: αβρααμ ο πατηρ υμων ηγαλλιασατο ινα ιδη την ημεραν την εμην και ειδεν και εχαρη

Latin: Abraham pater vester exultavit ut videret diem meum et vidit et gavisus est

Wessex: Abraham eowre faeder ge-blyssede þt he gesawe minne daig. & he hine ge-seah & ge-blyssode.

John 8:57

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KJV: Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

Greek: ειπον ειπαν ουν οι ιουδαιοι προς αυτον πεντηκοντα ετη ουπω εχεις και αβρααμ εωρακας

Latin: dixerunt ergo Iudaei ad eum quinquaginta annos nondum habes et Abraham vidisti

Wessex: Ða iudeas cwaeðon to hym. gyt þu ne ert fiftig wintre & ge-sawe þu abraham.

Wycliffe: Thanne the Jewis seiden to hym, Thou hast not yit fifti yeer, and hast thou seien Abraham?

Gothic: thanuh qethun thai iudaieis du imma: fimf tiguns jere nauh ni habais jah abraham sahvt?

Luther: Da sprachen die Juden zu ihm: Du bist noch nicht fünfzig Jahre alt und hast Abraham gesehen?

Russian: На это сказали Ему Иудеи: Тебе нет еще пятидесяти лет, -и Ты видел Авраама?

Back to the crucification of Jesus on Golgotha.

John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: [kjv]

και βασταζων αυτω τον σταυρον εξηλθεν εις τον λεγομενον κρανιου τοπον ο λεγεται εβραιστι γολγοθα [gnt]

19:18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. [kjv]

οπου αυτον εσταυρωσαν και μετ αυτου αλλους δυο εντευθεν και εντευθεν μεσον δε τον ιησουν [gnt]

The hill called Golgotha is part of the mountain (ridge) called Mount Morriah, which appears earlier in the Bible in the story of Abraham and, later, in the building of the temple by Solomon.

John 19:17

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KJV: And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

Greek: και βασταζων αυτω τον σταυρον αυτου εξηλθεν εις τον λεγομενον κρανιου τοπον ος ο λεγεται εβραιστι γολγοθα

Latin: et baiulans sibi crucem exivit in eum qui dicitur Calvariae locum hebraice Golgotha

Wessex: & baeren hys rode mid hym on þa stowe þe ys ge-nemned heafodpanen stow & on hebreisc golgotha.

Wycliffe: And he bar to hym silf a cros, and wente out in to that place, that is seid of Caluarie, in Ebreu Golgatha;

Tyndale: And he bare his crosse and went forthe into a place called the place of deed mens sculles which is named in Hebrue Golgatha.

Luther: Und er trug sein Kreuz und ging hinaus zur Stätte die da heißt Schädelstätte, welche heißt auf ebräisch Golgatha.

Slavonic: и нося крест Свой, изыде на глаголемое Лобное место, еже глаголется еврейски Голгофа,

Russian: И, неся крест Свой, Он вышел на место, называемое Лобное, по-еврейски Голгофа;

Spanish: Yél, cargando su cruz, salió al lugar llamado de la Calavera, y en hebreo, Gólgota;

John 19:18

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KJV: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

Greek: οπου αυτον εσταυρωσαν και μετ αυτου αλλους δυο εντευθεν και εντευθεν μεσον δε τον ιησουν

Latin: ubi eum crucifixerunt et cum eo alios duos hinc et hinc medium autem Iesum

Wessex: þaer hye hine ä-hengen. & twegen oðre mid hym on twam healfe. & þanne haelend on middan.

Wycliffe: where thei crucifieden him, and othere tweyne with him, oon on this side and oon on that side, and Jhesus in the myddil.

Tyndale: Where they crucified him and two other with him on ether syde one and Iesus in the myddes.

Luther: Allda kreuzigten sie ihn und mit ihm zwei andere zu beiden Seiten, Jesum aber mitten inne.

Spanish: donde le crucificaron, y conÉl a otros dos, uno a cada lado, y Jesús en medio.

The crucification of Jesus on Golgotha or Mount Morriah is at the site of which Abraham acted out the sacrifice of his only son Isaac, about 2,000 years before. At that time, Abraham saw the day of Jesus, just as Jesus said. Here are the rough dates.

2000 BC : Abraham and Isaac
1000 BC : David and Solomon
31 AD : Crucifixion of Jesus

There is a deeper analogy. After Abraham and Isaac go down the hill, Isaac, representing Christ, is not mentioned again until Eliazer, the helper of Abraham representing the Holy Spirit, and much later, goes to find Isaac, representing Christ, a bride, Rebeca, representing the Church, a gentile bride.

Is this just an accident of the text? Did it happen and/or was it written that way for a deeper purpose, as in a "remez"?