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Thirty: Death

The number thirty is understood in Judaism as relating to death. One of the mourning periods is known as a "Shaloshim". This is actually the Hebrew word for 30. The connection between the number 30 and death is seen by the fact that the Children of Israel mourned Aaron for 30 days (see Numbers 20:29). Likewise, when Moses died, the people also mourned him for exactly 30 days (see Deuteronomy 34:8). Another reference to the number 30 relating to death is found in the fact that Joshua took 30,000 men with him to fight Ai the second time (see Joshua 8:3). This time Israel was successful and Ai was put to death. It is significant that the reader is told that 12,000 people died, all the people of Ai (see Joshua 8:25). Here the number 12, as in 12,000, relates to the people, as we learned in our study of the number 12, and the fact that they all died is reflected in the 30,000 (30) soldiers that Joshua took.

In the New Covenant, the reader is told that Judas betrayed Yeshua, delivering Him over to the Jewish leadership to be put to death for 30 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). In the book of Luke, it is revealed that Yeshua was about the age of 30 when He began His ministry. What was the primary aspect of Yeshua's ministry? In other words, what did Yeshua enter into this world to do? The answer is to offer up His life for redemption. Death is the key ingredient in redemption. As one reads, without the shedding of blood (death) there is no redemption.

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