The mikvah is where the Christian doctrine of baptism
derives, although it did not begin with Christianity and was commanded by YHWH
long before Messiah came. It was a natural thing for Yisraelites to do. In
fact, there were numerous mikvaote (plural form of mikvah) at the Temple and it
was required that a person be immersed in a mikvah prior to presenting their
sacrifice. The Hebrew word for baptize is tevila (טביל), which is a full body
immersion that takes place in a mikvah (מקוה). This comes from the passage in [Genesis]
1:10 when YHWH “gathered together” the waters. The mikvah is the gathering
together of flowing waters. The “tevila” immersion is symbolic for a person
going from a state of uncleanliness to cleanliness. The priests in the temple
needed to tevila regularly to insure that they were in a state of cleanliness
when they served in the Temple. Anyone going to the Temple to worship or offer
sacrifices would tevila at the numerous pools outside the Temple. There are a
variety of instances found in the Torah when a person was required to tevila.
IT was very important because it reminds us of the filth of sin, and the need
to be washed clean from our sin in order to stand in the presence of a set
apart Elohim. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that we be immersed in a mikvah
prior to presenting the sacrifice of the perfect lamb as atonement for our
sins. It also cleanses our “temple” which the Spirit of Elohim will enter in,
to tabernacle with us. The tevila is symbolic of becoming born again, and is an
act of going from one life to another. Being born again is not something that
became popular in the seventies within the Christian religion. It is a
remarkably Yisraelite concept that was understood to occur when one arose from
the mikvah. In fact, people witnessing an immersion would often cry out “Born
Again!” when a person came up from an immersion. It was also an integral part
of the Rabbinic conversion process, which in many ways is not Scriptural, but
in this sense is correct. For a Gentile to complete their conversion, they were
required to be immersed, which meant that they were born again – born into a
new life. (Todd D. Bennett, Covenants: Understanding the Creator’s Plan for
the Redemption of Mankind [Walk in the Light; Herkimer, N.Y.: Shema Yisrael
Publications, 2011], 302-3 n. 67)
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