Seven Times

The Old Testament previews how Jesus was to pay the price and make the final sacrifice. This preview is found in the ordinance of the Day of Atonement, described in detail in Leviticus 16. The high priest was to go just once each year into the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies. He had to take two things: a censer filled with incense, which made an aromatic cloud that covered him and the mercy seat, and the blood of the sacrifice, offered on his own behalf.

Going thusly into the Most Holy Place, he had to sprinkle the blood seven times between the second veil, where he entered, and the front (or east) side of the mercy seat itself. So, there was an initial sprinkling of the blood seven times. I believe that this was an exact prophetic preview of how Jesus was to sprinkle His own blood on the way to the cross, as well as on the cross itself. The number seven indicates the work of the Holy Spirit—it is the number of completeness, or perfection, indicating a perfect work. The prophetic sprinkling was exactly fulfilled in the way that Jesus shed His blood: He shed His blood precisely seven times before the sacrifice was complete.

In that sevenfold shedding, Jesus’ body was emptied of blood. He literally poured out His soul to death in these steps:

1. His sweat became blood (see, for example, Luke 22:44);
2. They struck Him in the face with fists and rods (see, for example, Luke 22:63–64);
3. They flogged Him with a Roman scourge (see, for example, Luke 18:33);
4. His beard was pulled out (see Isaiah 50:6);
5. Thorns were pressed into His scalp (see, for example, Matthew 27:29);
6. His hands and feet were pierced with nails (see, for example, John 20:25); and,
7. His side was pierced with a spear (see John 19:34).