"Golden Cord" Question

[Guest]

A church friend of mine asked me the following question, and I don't have a good answer:

"I was once was told, or read, that the High Priest of the desert temple wore a golden fiber rope on the day of Atonement when he went into the Most Holy Place. The purpose was for him to be able to be pulled from the Most Holy if the sacrifice was not accepted for some reason. I have been looking for this in the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy for about a week now and haven't found anything. If any of you could provide some guidance of where to find material on this subject please let me know."

Does anyone here have an answer for him?

Thanks very much!

Maggie

[Tom Wetmore]

It is my understand that this information is from Jewish tradition. Not sure what Jewish writings.

[Kevin H]

I've heard that in sermons etc. but it has not been mentioned in any college lectures nor in any of my studying when I was in school or the little I've done since, so I have also wondered about the source of this story. I'd be interested to find out as well.

[Windsor]

The only known original reference to this idea comes from the Zohar. Per wiki...

The Zohar (Hebrew: זֹהַר‎‎, lit Splendor or Radiance) is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah.[1] It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five books of Moses) and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology. The Zohar contains a discussion of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, redemption, the relationship of Ego to Darkness and "true self" to "The Light of God," and the relationship between the "universal energy" and man. Its scriptural exegesis can be considered an esoteric form of the Rabbinic literature known as Midrash, which elaborates on the Torah... The Zohar first appeared in Spain in the 13th century, and was published by a Jewish writer named Moses de Leon. De Leon ascribed the work to Shimon bar Yochai, a rabbi of the 2nd century during the Roman persecution[3] who, according to Jewish legend,[4][5] hid in a cave for thirteen years studying the Torah and was inspired by the Prophet Elijah to write the Zohar... modern academic analysis of the Zohar, such as that by the 20th century religious historian Gershom Scholem, has theorized that De Leon was the actual author.

Protestants likely picked this up from John Gill's 18th century Bible commentary on Hebrew 9:7 where (using the Zohar as his reference) he states "the Jews say, that a cord or thong was bound to the feet of the high priest when he went into the holy of holies, that if he died there, the rest might be able to draw him out".

So in fact there is no Biblical basis to this claim whatsoever. It comes from one of the books utilized by the Kabbalah branch of Jewish mysticism, famous today because of some of the Hollywood stars that have become adherents such as Madonna.

[Gibs]

maggie c

The closest text you will find may be this one and the bell was to know if he was still moving as he went in I believe trembling before the Lord.

Ex 28:34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

Ex 28:35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

If that bell became silent since no man could enter but the High Priest he would be dragged out by the rope. But I find no mention of the provision of the rope but it certainly stands to reason.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.