Reference

Numbers 6:20

Total Abstinence Ritual / Sacred Use Earthly Sanctuary System Christ as High Priest

“And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.”

And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:

And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.

This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Ritual / Sacred Use

Keyword Match

80% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Earthly Sanctuary System

Multi-Signal Classification

90% relevance

This verse was identified by multiple independent signals: structural patterns, prophetic context, and vocabulary — then validated by a probability model (Snorkel).

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Total Abstinence

The verse explicitly states that *after* the Nazarite completes their vow and the associated sacrifices, they *may* drink wine. This directly contradicts the idea of total abstinence being commanded or presented as an ideal. The verse marks the *end* of a temporary period of abstinence, not a general prohibition.

Ritual / Sacred Use

The verse explicitly states that *after* the ritual is complete, the Nazarite *may* drink wine, implying that during the period of their vow, wine was forbidden. Therefore, the verse describes the *cessation* of a sacred restriction on wine, rather than wine being *used* in an offering or sacred context. The wine is consumed by the Nazarite, not offered to the Lord.

Earthly Sanctuary System

The verse primarily details the actions of a Nazarite and the consumption of wine, which are personal acts rather than direct descriptions of the sanctuary system itself.

Christ as High Priest

This verse describes a specific ritual performed by a Levitical priest for a Nazarite, focusing on the priest's portion of the offering and the Nazarite's subsequent actions. It contains no direct or indirect mention of a high priest, a future messianic figure, or any concept of mediation, intercession, or self-sacrifice that would connect it to the theme of Christ as High Priest.

Total Abstinence

Cross-References

Leviticus 7:30Thematic

“His own hands shall bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the Lord.”

Leviticus 7:32Thematic

“And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.”

Leviticus 10:9Thematic

“Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:”

Zechariah 9:17Thematic

“For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.”

Numbers 5:25Thematic

“Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar:”

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Thematic Connections