Philologos
Bible Prophecy Research
Title: Scarlet Worm
Submitted by: research-bpr@philologos.org
Date: May 23, 1999
Update: April 06, 2001
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr/files/w010.htm
Scarlet Worm
Bible & Science tape series
Henry Morris
Look at the 22nd Psalm. This is the great Psalm of the crucifixion of Christ written 1,000 years before it was fulfilled. It describes in great detail the sufferings of Christ on the cross. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" he cries out. Then down in verse 6...he says "But I am a worm (08438), and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people." What did he mean by saying "I am a worm"?...This particular worm is different from other kinds of worms. There are different kinds of worms, different varieties, but this is a particular worm. It means more than just he is not a man. Isaiah 52 says, "his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men." He was literally made corruption personified; he didn't even look like a man there on the cross*; it is talking about more than that here. He says "I am a worm and no man." This is a scarlet worm and the reason it was called that was because it had the ability to secrete a scarlet fluid which was used in making the scarlet dye that they used in ancient days. As a matter of fact, when you find the word "scarlet" in the bible, it's the same word. "Though your sins be as scarlet," it's the same word exactly. The worm was identified with the crimson color. The life cycle of that worm is something like this: when the mother worm was ready to give birth to the baby worms, she would find the trunk of a tree, a post or a stick somewhere and then she would plant her body in that wood and she would implant her body so firmly in it that she could never leave it again. And then the young would be brought forth and the mother's body would provide protection for the babies as long as they needed before they could get out and take care of themselves. Then the mother would die, and in the process, the scarlet fluid would stain her body and the body of the young and the tree and so on. The Lord Jesus said "I am like that scarlet worm." He's making peace through the blood of his cross; he's bringing many sons into glory through the suffering. And this is a graphic testimony of the fact that eternal life comes out of the suffering and death of the Son of God.
*Please see "Why Did Christ Die Before the Two Robbers?" by John D. Keyser [65k] for more on how Jesus fulfilled these prophecies of being scarred for us. The basic premise of the article is that Jesus was stoned in accordance with the Jewish law against blasphemers while hanging on the cross.
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Exodus 16:20
20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the
morning, and it bred worms (08438), and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
Exodus 25:4
And blue, and purple, and scarlet (08438) (08144), and fine linen, and goats' hair,
08144 - scarlet, crimson
properly, the insect 'coccus ilicis,' the dried body of the female yielding colouring matter from which is made the dye used for cloth to colour it scarlet or crimson.
Exodus 26:1
Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined
linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438): with cherubims of cunning
work shalt thou make them.
Exodus 26:31
And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and
fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
Exodus 26:36
And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and
scarlet (08438) (08144), and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
Exodus 27:16
And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue,
and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and
their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.
Exodus 28:5,6
And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine
linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple,
of scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
Exodus 28:8
And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same,
according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and
scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine twined linen.
Exodus 28:15
And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the
ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of
scarlet (08144) (08438), and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
Exodus 28:33
And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of
purple, and of scarlet (08144) (08438), round about the hem thereof; and bells of
gold between them round about:
Exodus 35:6
And blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine linen, and goats' hair,
Exodus 35:23
And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine
linen, and goats' hair, and red (0119) skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them.
Exodus 35:25
And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which
they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet (08144) (08438),
and of fine linen.
Exodus 35:35
Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and
of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet (08144)
(08438), and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and
of those that devise cunning work.
Exodus 36:8
And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten
curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438): with
cherubims of cunning work made he them.
Exodus 36:35
And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine
twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.
Exodus 36:37
And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet
(08144) (08438), and fine twined linen, of needlework;
Exodus 38:18
And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and
purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was
the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the
hangings of the court.
Exodus 38:23
And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a
cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet (08144)
(08438), and fine linen.
Exodus 39:1-3 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet (08438) (08144), and fine twined linen. And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet (08144) (08438), and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
Exodus 39:5
And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same,
according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144)
(08438), and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Exodus 39:8
And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of
gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and fine twined linen.
Exodus 39:24
And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and
scarlet (08144) (08438), and twined linen.
Exodus 39:29
And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet (08144)
(08438), of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Leviticus 14:4
Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and
clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet (08144) (08438), and hyssop:
Leviticus 14:6
As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet (08144)
(08438), and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that
was killed over the running water:
Leviticus 14:49
And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet (08144)
(08438), and hyssop:
Leviticus 14:51,52
And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet (08144) (08438), and the
living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and
sprinkle the house seven times: And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird,
and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with
the hyssop, and with the scarlet (08144) (08438):
Numbers 4:8
And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet (08438) (08144), and cover the same
with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.
Numbers 19:6
And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet (08438) (08144), and cast it
into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
Deuteronomy 28:39
Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the
wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms (08438) shall eat them.
Job 25:6
How much less man, that is a worm (07415)? and the son of man, which is a
worm (08438)?
07415 - maggot, worm (as cause and sign of decay)
Psalms 22:6
But I am a worm (08438), and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet
(08144), they shall be as white as snow; though they be red (0119) like crimson (08438),
they shall be as wool.
0119 - to be red
Isaiah 14:11
Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm (07415)
is spread under thee, and the worms (08438) cover thee.
Isaiah 41:14
Fear not, thou worm (08438) Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith
the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 66:24
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed
against me: for their worm (08438) shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched;
and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Lamentations 4:5
They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in
scarlet (08438) embrace dunghills.
Jonah 4:7
But God prepared a worm (08438) when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd
that it withered.