Baptism ≠ Mikveh© By Marie L Schryver

 

Water can only purify if the soul has first been purified
through repentance to righteousness.

Photo from The Visual Gospel of Matthew - Bruce Marchiano as Yashua (Jesus)

“Baptism” Definitions are from BlueLetterBible.com, Strong’s Concordance
Baptism – G908 – bop tees mah’
     22 times in 22 verses

immersion, submersion

of calamities and afflictions with which one is quite overwhelmed

Of John's baptism, that purification rite by which men on confessing their sins were bound to spiritual reformation, obtained the pardon of their past sins and became qualified for the benefits of the Messiah's kingdom soon to be set up. This was valid Christian baptism, as this was the only baptism the apostles received, and it is not recorded anywhere that they were ever re-baptized after Pentecost. [eisegesis]

of Christian baptism; a rite of immersion in water as commanded by Christ, by which one after confessing his sins and professing his faith in Christ, having been born again by the Holy Spirit unto a new life, identifies publicly with the fellowship of Christ and the church. [inferred]

Baptize – G907 – bop teed’ zo
     86 times in 65 verses

to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)

to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe

to overwhelm

Luke 3:16
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire:

Infant baptisms, whether sprinkling or dunking, has been done by Greeks, Egyptians, Filipinos, Mayans, Aztecs, Peruvians, Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhists, Japanese, Chinese and many others. Many were to drive off evil spirits as well as a name-the-baby ceremony. Infant baptism is not mentioned in Scripture anywhere. Everywhere washing or baptism is mentioned, it is done with the free will of the person being baptized for the reasons of purification, repentance and identification with Messiah Yashua.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word WASH is used.

H1740 – דּוּחַ  doo ACH  4 times in 4 verses
   wash, purge (by washing), cast me out

H3526 – כָּבַס  kah VAHS 51 times in 48 verses
   wash, fuller (as in fuller’s soap)

H4325 – מַיִם  mah YEEM 582 times in 525 verses
   water, washing

H7364 – רָחַץ  rah CHATS 72 times in 71 verses
   wash, bathe, wash away

The first mention of wash as rachats is in Genesis 18:4 when Abraham asks for water to wash the feet of the 3 messengers that come just as Yehovah speaks to him at his tent. He immediately offers to rachats-wash their feet. Verse 1 says YEHOVAH appeared and spoke and verse 13 says that YEHOVAH spoke to him during the visit of these three messengers! So, one of the 3 is Yehovah!

Andיְהֹוָה  appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamrĕ, while he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So, he lifted his eyes and looked, and saw three men standing opposite him. And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said,
“  יְהֹוָה  if I have now found favour in Your eyes, please do not pass Your servant by. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree ” Genesis 18:1-4

And it reads in the Torah –יְהוָֹה  – Yehovah.  Abraham washed their feet!

Back in chapter 17, verse 1, Yehovah tells Abram to “walk before Him and be perfect.”

Perfect in Hebrew is H8549  –תָּמִים  tah MEEM: Tahmeem has the same root word as MAYIM – WATER – WASH, but with a tav – ת  as a prefix. Tav means ‘she’ as a prefix but it is also the word picture of covenant. The complete word for perfect, tahmeem, is a picture of covenant water or covenant washing! Yehovah instructed Abram about the relationship that requires cleansing between Abram and Himself.

In chapter 19, TWO of the three went to see Lot and he also offered to wash their feet.

The next word, kahvahs, is in reference to washing clothes or garments and in Jeremiah 4:14, the prophet tells Jerusalem to kavahs their hearts from wickedness. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? It is used in conjunction with the fuller’s soap made with the ashes of the red heifer.

Isaiah chapter 4 speaks of a time when all the filth of the daughters of Zion will be ‘rachats’ washed away. This is both physical and spiritual. These verses actually suggest all 6 types of mikveh!

1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy Name, to take away our reproach.
Identification with Messiah – being called by His Name; repentance and purification – taking away their reproach.

2 In that day shall the branch of Yehovah be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. Suffering by purging them from blood; washing with water and cleansing with fire.

5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense. The cloud by day and fire by night as both the Ruach HaKodesh and fire.

6 And there shall be a tabernacle (sukkah) for a shadow* in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. The Ruach as protection!

They want to be called by His Name – they want to identify with Yehovah! Then, when the washing that purges sin from their lives and filth from their bodies, He gives them a place of defense and covers them with a canopy – a chuppah! Chuppah –חֻפָּה  H2646 – a closet, chamber, room, canopy, divine protection! The Ruach HaKodesh and Fire is their defense!

 Based in part on Michael Rood’s “The Doctrine of Baptisms – The Mikveh”

Therefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Messiah, let us go on to perfection, [See Mat. 5:48] not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of belief toward Elohim, of the teaching of immersions, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of everlasting judgment. And this we shall do if Elohim indeed permits. …which we have as an anchor of the life, both safe and firm, and entering into that within the veil, whereיֵשׁוּעַ  has entered as a forerunner for us, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Malkitseḏeq.  Hebrews 6:1-3, 19-20

John the Baptist wasn’t a Baptist! He, Yochanan, was a Levitical priest like his father, Zechariah. He did not baptize in anyone’s name (authority) but exhorted the people to be immersed for repentance.  Yashua came to John (Yochanan) to ‘fulfill all righteousness’ but it wasn’t for repentance. Yochanan was the legitimate Levitical priest but was hiding in the wilderness because the Romans had corrupted the priesthood with hirelings. Yochanan ‘fulfilled all righteousness’ by witnessing Yashua’s mikveh to become the “Priest on the order of Melchizedek.” Yashua was not a Levite but of the tribe of Judah and therefore, could not be a Levitical priest. [Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 7:17]

6 Baptisms:
Purification                                Repentance
Identification with Mashiach     Baptism of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)
Baptism of Fire                          Baptism of Suffering

Acts 21 – Someone was teaching the Jews who believed in Yashua to forsake the teaching of Moshe. Shaul told them NO! Don’t do that. Rather, a gentile could be grafted in through Yashua and become part of Israel without circumcision, which is part of the Abrahamic land covenant.

Purification – It carries away impurities both literally and symbolically as a physical and spiritual cleansing.

Repentance – When one has turned away from sin, which is breaking Yehovah’s Torah, then a mikveh for repentance is done.
Acts 1: 4-5 And, being assembled together with them, (Yashua) commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, He said, you have heard of Me. For Yochanan truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) not many days hence.

Identification with Messiah – Identifying with Yashua as the Messiah – it is in His Name – you come under His authority like the daughters of Zion in Isaiah chapter 4. He is our Master! It is not into a group or denomination but to submit to His authority and follow His ways. Leave sin and the past behind and be obedient to Yehovah’s commandments.

Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) –
Yochanan said in Matthew 3:11, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but He that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and with fire.

When the Ruach came in Acts 2, this was not the beginning of the “church”! The kehillah or assembly of Yehovah began at Mt. Sinai. The cloud by day and fire by night happened at Mt. Sinai and ultimately over the Tabernacle. The tongues of fire over the heads of the believers, proving that they had become the Tabernacle or Temple of the Ruach HaKodesh and that the Torah would be written on their hearts! If you have a desire to be obedient, the Ruach HaKodesh gave that gift to you when you were baptized with His Ruach.  

The Baptism of Fire and The Baptism of Suffering –
Is it possible that the key words are WITH or OF? The baptism WITH fire referring to the infilling of the Ruach HaKodesh but the baptism OF fire is an inner purging in preparation for the future. 
These two could certainly be considered synonymous. As stated, the baptism of fire may be a type of purging of the inner self or possibly the instilling of a steely resolve in preparation for a trail to come. Then the following trial may be the baptism of suffering and Yashua's statement, 'take up your cross and follow Me' [Matthew 16:24-25] is both an exhortation and a warning. If you choose to follow Him, there will be a death to self. 

I pray that this study has blessed you. Feel free to test it with the Word of Yehovah. Shalom!