“Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’” Luke 24:44
When Yeshua spoke as recorded in Luke 24:44 “that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” He was teaching that the Torah contains prophetic patterns, symbols, and shadows that ultimately find their fulfillment in Him, our Messiah. This is especially true in Numbers 19:1–25:9, a section that includes the Red Heifer, the water from the rock, Aaron’s death, the bronze serpent, Balaam’s prophecies, and Israel’s sin at Baal-peor. Throughout these chapters Yeshua appears repeatedly, sometimes in ways that the New Testament explicitly identifies and sometimes through themes that become clearer in light of His life, death, and resurrection.
The Red Heifer
Perhaps the clearest picture of Yeshua in this section is found in Numbers 19 and the ordinance of the Red Heifer. The red heifer was unique among Israel’s sacrifices. It was to be without defect, never placed under a yoke, and was slaughtered outside the camp. Its ashes were then used in water for purification from the defilement associated with death. Christ followers have long recognized remarkable parallels with Yeshua. He was without blemish, completely free from sin, and He suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem. The writer of Hebrews explicitly compares our Messiah’s sacrifice with the ashes of the red heifer, arguing that if the ritual purification provided ceremonial cleansing, how much more will the blood of Christ cleanse the conscience. The red heifer therefore becomes one of the most direct foreshadowings of Messiah’s atoning and cleansing work in the entire Torah.
Universalists often find significance in the purpose of the red heifer. The ritual exists not to exclude permanently but to restore people to fellowship after defilement. The entire ceremony is restorative. Uncleanness is addressed so that participation in the covenant community can be renewed. This pattern of purification rather than abandonment harmonizes with the universalist understanding of divine judgment as ultimately restorative rather than merely punitive.
Water From the Rock
Numbers 20 contains another important Christological picture in the story of the water from the rock. The people complain again because of thirst, and God provides water from the rock. The New Testament explicitly interprets this event Christologically. In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul writes that Israel drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, “and the Rock was Christ.” The life-giving water flowing from the rock points toward Yeshua as the source of living water.
John 4:10 “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’” John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
Just as physical water sustained Israel in the wilderness, our Messiah provides spiritual life to a thirsty world.
Universalists frequently notice that God provides water even to a grumbling and rebellious people. The recipients are not faithful saints but complainers. Yet God sustains them anyway. Throughout Scripture, divine provision often precedes repentance. God’s mercy remains active even toward those who resist Him.
The death of Aaron
The death of Aaron in Numbers 20 also points toward Christ in an indirect but powerful way. Aaron ascends Mount Hor, his priestly garments are transferred to Eleazar, and he dies. The event demonstrates the limitations of the Aaronic priesthood. Aaron cannot continue forever because he is mortal. Christians see in this the need for a greater priesthood. The New Testament presents Yeshua as the eternal High Priest who never dies and whose ministry never passes to another. Aaron’s death highlights the temporary nature of the old covenant priesthood and points forward to Christ’s everlasting priesthood.
The Bronze Serpent
In Numbers 21 we encounter one of the most explicit Christological symbols in the entire Pentateuch: the bronze serpent. After the people rebel, poisonous serpents enter the camp. God instructs Moses to place a bronze serpent upon a pole so that anyone who looks upon it may live. Significantly, Yeshua Himself identifies this event as a prophecy of His crucifixion. In John 3:14–15, He says:
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”
The serpent becomes a symbol of sin and curse being judged. Those who looked in faith were healed and lived. Yeshua takes the curse of sin upon Himself and is lifted up on the cross so that humanity may receive life through Him.
Universalists often find considerable significance here. The remedy is publicly displayed for the entire camp. The provision is universal in scope even though individuals must respond. The image reflects a God who provides healing rather than merely punishment. The goal is not the destruction of the bitten Israelites but their recovery.
Balaam
Numbers 22–24 contains the remarkable account of Balaam. Although Balaam himself is a flawed figure, God repeatedly turns intended curses into blessings. Again and again Balak seeks judgment upon Israel, and again and again God transforms the curse into blessing. Christians have frequently seen this as foreshadowing Christ’s redemptive work. Through Jesus, the curse of sin is transformed into blessing, reconciliation, and life.
The most famous messianic prophecy in this section appears in Numbers 24:17:
“A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
For centuries Christians have understood this as a prophecy of the Messiah. The star points toward Yeshua’s kingship and eventual triumph. Early Christians even connected this passage with the star observed by the Magi at Jesus’ birth. Here, in the words of a Gentile prophet, Moses records one of the earliest direct messianic predictions in the Torah.
Universalists also note something remarkable about Balaam’s prophecies. God’s final word over His people is blessing rather than curse. Though judgment exists, blessing proves stronger. This theme echoes throughout Scripture and culminates in mankind’s Messiah, through whom God’s redemptive purposes ultimately prevail.
Universalist Themes
Several universalist themes emerge throughout Numbers 19–25. The red heifer provides purification from death and uncleanness. The water from the rock sustains a rebellious people. The bronze serpent account offers healing to those under judgment. Balaam’s intended curses become blessings. God’s provision repeatedly moves toward restoration rather than abandonment.
One verse that often attracts universalist attention is Numbers 14:21, earlier in the book, where God declares that all the earth will be filled with His glory. While not located in chapters 19–25, the events here continue to move in that direction. God’s dealings consistently reveal a desire to heal, cleanse, sustain, and bless despite human failure.
Even the tragic account of Baal-peor in Numbers 25 contains a subtle universalist observation. Israel falls into idolatry and immorality, and judgment follows. Yet the covenant relationship is not terminated. God continues His redemptive purposes beyond the failure. Universalists frequently observe that throughout Scripture divine discipline occurs within an ongoing story of covenant faithfulness. Human rebellion does not ultimately overthrow God’s purposes.
Viewed through the lens of Luke 24:44, Numbers 19–25 contains some of the richest pictures of mankind’s Messiah in the entire Torah. Yeshua is the true Red Heifer who purifies from death. He is the Rock from whom living water flows. He is the eternal High Priest who succeeds where Aaron could not continue. He is the bronze serpent lifted up for the healing of humanity when we look to Him. He is the Star out of Jacob and the royal Scepter foretold by Balaam. And running alongside these Christological themes is a recurring pattern that many universalists find deeply significant: God’s judgments are repeatedly accompanied by cleansing, healing, provision, blessing, and restoration, revealing a God whose ultimate direction is toward life rather than destruction.
Brother Roger
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