E30–6: Understanding the Hebrew word for “Eternal Damnation”

“Tell the people of Israel, ‘This is to be a holy anointing oil for me through all your generations. It is not to be used for anointing a person’s body; and you are not to make any like it, with the same composition of ingredients — it is holy, and you are to treat it as holy. Whoever makes any like it or uses it on any unauthorized person is to be cut off from his people.’”-Exodus 30:31–33

Today, we’re going to talk about the aromatic anointing oil used in rituals.

Now this was no ordinary anointing oil.

The money and the ingredients, rather than coming from the offerings the people gave for the Tabernacle, were instead to come from the tribal chieftains.

The reason was that the types of spices and perfumes used were eye-bulgingly expensive.

Some of the ingredients actually had to be imported from Arabia, India, and China, and were difficult to manufacture.

These goods were prime targets for bandits during transport, and a sizable quantity of these spices and perfumes never reached their intended destinations.

The list of spices that were make to up this anointing oil are as follows:

-MYRRH

-CINNAMON

-AROMATIC CANE

-CASSIA

These ingredients would be blended by a specialist and then used to consecrate the priests and ritual implements for divine service.

Now, when I say this oil was used to consecrate the priests, that’s putting it lightly.

A more accurate way to put it is to say that minus this special concoction, it would have been ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to consecrate the priests into service to the Lord.

Verses 31–33 make it clear that this anointing oil is to be used ONLY for the consecration of the priests and no one but the priesthood may administer it.

It’s to be used for nothing else.

Now take a look at verse 33.

“Whoever makes any like it or uses it on any unauthorized person is to be cut off from his people.”

Let’s take a close look at this phrase “cut off.”

The Hebrew is KARET.

While the translation “cut off” is certainly correct, KARET is much more serious than that.

What’s being contemplated here is not just being permanently separated from the community of God (Israel), but being separated from God Himself.

We’re talking about “eternal damnation” here, folks.

The Jewish Encyclopedia defines KARET as follows:

Karet: (lit. “excision”); the cutting of the soul, causing premature death on the earthly plane and a severing of the soul’s connection with G-d on the spiritual plane

According to the MISHNAH, there were 36 sins punishable by KARET, including homosexuality and desecrating God’s Sabbath.

For a complete list, click here.

KARET was much more serious than mere physical death and was greatly feared.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Do not fear those who kill the body but are powerless to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gei-Hinnom.” -Matthew 10:28

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