THE CRIMSON OR SCARLET WORM

 

Photo from Mel Gibson’s the Passion of the Christ

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land up to the ninth hour. About the ninth hour, Yeshua cried with a loud voice

Matthew 27:46 [The Scriptures - TS]
...“Eli, Eli, lemah shebaqtani?” that is, “My El, My El, why have You forsaken Me?”    [Psalm 22:1]

In Yeshua’s time and culture, a Rabbi (teacher) would recite verses to his students to pinpoint the part of Scripture he was referring to. Scripture was not divided and numbered by chapters and verses in Yeshua’s day, as they are at present. By reciting a verse, those who had memorised Scripture since childhood, would immediately know what part of the Sacred Writings the teacher was alluding to. Yeshua, being a Jewish teacher, taught  his disciples in the same way. 
Yeshua points his listeners to Psalm 22 which prophetically pictured the scenes at the execution stake. They witnessed the fulfilment of the following

PSALM 22
[The Scriptures]
FULFILMENT 
[The Scriptures unless otherwise noted]
Psalm 22:1
My El, My El, why have You forsaken Me
Matthew 27:46
And about the ninth hour יהושע cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lemah shebaqtani?” that is, “My El, My El, why have You forsaken Me?”
Psalm 22:4
Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them.
Matthew 27:43
“He trusted in Elohim, let Him rescue Him now if He desires Him
Psalm 22:6
But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 
Matthew 27:30-31
And spitting on Him they took the reed and struck Him on the head. 
Psalm 22:7
All those who see Me mock Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head,
Mark 15:29
And those passing by were blaspheming Him, shaking their heads
Psalm 22:8
“He trusted in יהוה, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, seeing He has delighted in Him!” 
Luke 23:35
“He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Messiah, the chosen of Elohim.” 
Psalm 22:14
I have been poured out like water, And all My bones have been spread apart; My heart has become like wax; It has melted in the midst of My inward parts. 
John 19:34
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and instantly blood and water came out. 
Psalm 22:15
My strength is dried like a potsherd, And My tongue is cleaving to My jaws
John 19:28
After this, יהושע{Yehoshua), knowing that all had been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be accomplished, said, “I thirst!” 
Psalm 22:16
For dogs have surrounded Me; A crowd of evil ones have encircled Me, Piercing My hands and My feet

Matthew 27:35; John 19:37;
Zechariah 12:10
And they crucified him… [KJV]

Psalm 22:17
I count all My bones. They look, they stare at Me.

John 19:33
but when they came to יהושע and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 

Psalm 22:18
They divide My garments among them, And for My raiment they cast lots. 

Matthew 27:35
they divided His garments, casting lots


(See
MESSIAH’S DEATH FORETOLD for more information on the fulfilment of Psalm22)

This article is going to focus on

Psalm 22:6 [TS]
But I am a worm, and no man;

The Hebrew word for worm is «rimmah» which means maggot; but the Hebrew word that is used for worm here, is «tola’ath», which means ‘Crimson Worm’. «Tow-la-ath» is the name of a specific worm of the Middle East.

THE CRIMSON OR SCARLET WORM (coccus ilicis) 
It is not until you begin to study the characteristics and the life cycle of the Crimson or Scarlet Worm that you begin to see the tremendous truth revealed by Scripture.
The Crimson Worm is common to the region of old Israel. In ancient days the dead bodies of the female Crimson Worms were scrapped from the tree, dried, and then ground into a powder that was used to dye their cloth and garments a scarlet or red colour.When the Crimson Worm climbs on the tree it will not come back down alive. It is going to the tree, to birth a family, and to do that it must die.
Yeshua, knowing all things, still was willing to die on the cross to birth a family. Once on the tree, the Crimson Worm attaches itself to the tree. The Crimson Worm then lays its eggs under its body and the protective shell. When the larvae hatch, they stay under the shell. The mother’s body gives protection for her new-born, and also provides them with food. The young feed on the living body of the mother 
During the birthing process, she secretes a crimson fluid or gel. The scarlet fluid covers her entire body and all the eggs she lays. It also leaves a stain on the tree, which will never fade away with the passing of time. After dying to birth the family, something amazing takes place. For a period of three days, the worm can be scrapped for from the tree and the crimson gel can be used to make a dye. That dye was the same which was used in the tabernacle and in the garments of the High Priest. 
On the morning of the fourth day, the worm pulls the head and tail together and now in the shape of a heart on the tree but is no longer crimson. It is now a wax, which is white as snow. The snow white-wax looks like a little patch of wool on the side of the tree and begins to flake off and drop to the ground like snow

Isaiah 1:18 [TS]
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says יהוה. “Though your sins are like scarlet (shani), they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson (tola'ath), they shall be as wool. 

Yeshua gave up his life in order to cleanse his children from their sins with his crimson blood and purified their sins making them white as snow. He died for us, that we might live through him!

Lastly, the Crimson worm is also very fragrant when it is crushed.

Ephesians 5:2 [TS]
And walk in love, as Messiah also has loved us, and gave Himself for us, a gift and an offering to Elohim for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

SOME USES OF CRIMSON IN SCRIPTURE
As an offering – Exodus 25:4
Tabernacle Coverings and curtains – Exodus 26:27
High Priest’s holy garments and breastplate: Exodus 28 & 39
Veil of the Tabernacle/Temple: Exodus 26 & 36
Rahab’s thread: Joshua 2
Sin: Isaiah 18
Yeshua’s Robe: Matthew 27:28

Yeshua, the Nazarene, our Master and Saviour, the Messiah, Son of the Eternal became a worm for our sake. Let us not forget what this means.

Sources:
Paul Franklin; George Crabb; Curtis Evelo

NAZARENE NOTES