The spiritual meaning of "Tithes"
(Leviticus 27:30-32)
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is
the LORD's: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem aught of his tithes,
he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the
flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
The "seed of the land" is Christ himself who is holy.
Gen 13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed
forever
Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not,
And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
The "fruit of the tree" are identified with the believers in which Christ is the
firstfruits.
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree
bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree
corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every
month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The "flock" are the true believers - "flock of God"
Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you
the kingdom.
Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God,
which he hath purchased with his own blood
1Pe 5:2-3 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight
thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3
Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
To "pass under the rod" is to be brought into the bond of the covenant of
God. To be seperated from the rebels. We read this in Ezekiel 20:37
Eze 20:37-38 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into
the bond of the covenant: 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels,
and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country
where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall
know that I am the LORD.
Also, to pass under means that the Rod of God (wrath) is not upon you. We
see this in Job 21:9
Job 21:8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring
before their eyes. 9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God
upon them.
The rod is the Word of God which is a two-edged sword. either we pass
under it or it smites us.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should
smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
What is the Spiritual significance of "a tenth"? – Body of Christ
Gen 28:20-22 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will
keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put
on, 21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD
be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's
house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
Exo 16:32-33 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth,
Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread
wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the
land of Egypt. 33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full
of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
Exo 16:36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
Lev 5:11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons,
then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine
flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any
frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.
The "tenth part of flour" is identified with the sacrifices and offerings - sin,
meat, jealousy, drink, and heave offerings which all point to Christ.
Isa 6:11-13 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be
wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly
desolate, 12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great
forsaking in the midst of the land. 13 But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall
return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in
them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance
thereof.
Amos 5:1-8 The remnant is a tenth
1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of
Israel.
2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her
land; there is none to raise her up.
3 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave
a hundred, and that which went forth by a hundred shall leave ten, to the house
of Israel.
4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall
live:
5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for
Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to naught.
6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of
Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel.
7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth,
8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of
death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the
waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is
his name:
Rev 11:12-14 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them,
Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies
beheld them. 13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the
tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven
thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of
heaven. 14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
The “Tithes of Increase” were brought in at the end of the 3rd year. – (Great
Tribulation)
Deuteronomy 14:27-29 The second half of the great tribulation?
27 And the Levite that is within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part
nor inheritance with thee.
28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the
same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates: The gates of the new Jerusalem
(Christ)?
29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the
stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come,
and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work
of thine hand which thou doest.
Deuteronomy 26:12-14 The second half of the great tribulation?
12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year,
which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the
fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;
13 Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed
things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the
stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments
which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments,
neither have I forgotten them:
14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away aught thereof for
any unclean use, nor given aught thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the
voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast
commanded me.
Amos 4:2-7 these are the tithes of those who remain in the churches during the 2nd half
of the great tribulation.
2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you,
that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
3 And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye
shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.
4 Come to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your
sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years:
5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free
offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all
your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
7 And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the
harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another
city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.
The Tithes were brought into the Storehouse, Treasure House, Chambers, Great
Chamber …
(Nehemiah 10:37) Chambers of the house – New Jerusalem – The Bride
And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all
manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our
God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the
tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
(Nehemiah 10:38) Treasure house – New Jerusalem – The Bride
And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes:
and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the
chambers, into the treasure house.
(Nehemiah 12:44) Chambers for the treasures – New Jerusalem – The Bride
And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the
offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the
cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests
and for the Levites that waited.
(Nehemiah 13:5) Great chamber – New Jerusalem – The Bride
And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they laid the meat
offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine,
and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the
porters; and the offerings of the priests.
(Malachi 3:8-10) Storehouse– New Jerusalem – The Bride
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed
thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me,
even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be
meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not
open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it.
Abraham gave Tithes to Melchizedek – What does this spiritually point to?
To pay tithes = to send forth the Gospel to gather in the Elect !
Genesis 14:18-20
18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest
of the most high God.
19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor
of heaven and earth:
20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy
hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Heb 7:1-9 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met
Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also
Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and
after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without
mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like
unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now consider how great this man
was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5 And verily
they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a
commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren,
though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6 But he whose descent is not counted
from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is
witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid
tithes in Abraham.
10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him.
11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people
received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after
the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the
law.
13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no
man gave attendance at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake
nothing concerning priesthood.
15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchizedek there
ariseth another priest,
16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an
endless life.
17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Numbers 18:20-28
20 And the LORD spoke unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land,
neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance
among the children of Israel.
21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an
inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of
the congregation.
22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the
congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.
23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they
shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that
among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.
24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the
LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among
the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of
Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall
offer up a heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.
27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn
of the threshingfloor, and as the fullness of the winepress.
28 Thus ye also shall offer a heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye
receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD's heave offering
to Aaron the priest.
Deuteronomy 12:17-18
17 Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil,
or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest,
nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:
18 But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy
God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy
maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the
LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.
(Deuteronomy 14:22) Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field
bringeth forth year by year.
The increase of thy seed … Those who are washed by the Word of God –
True believers
Isa 30:23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground
withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in
that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.
Zec 8:12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the
ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will
cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.
(Deuteronomy 14:23) And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which
he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine
oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the
LORD thy God always.
2 Chronicles 31:4-7
4 Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the
priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.
5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in
abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of
the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
6 And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they
also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were
consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps.
7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in
the seventh month.
(Nehemiah 13:12) Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and
the oil unto the treasuries.
(Luke 18:12) I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.