Cities of Refuge. There are two primary ways to appreciate the cities of refuge: the personal application to the believer, and the prophetic interpretation concerning Israel. For the believer, they speak of the guilty sinner fleeing to Christ for refuge; but prophetically, they are a precious type of God’s dealings with Israel, who, in their ignorance, killed the Christ. The Lord Jesus Himself, in the moment of His crucifixion, acknowledged this when He cried, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), attributing their terrible act to ignorance. Later, Peter echoed this in Acts 3:17, saying, “And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.” In this sense, God judges them to be guilty—yet not willfully so, but guilty in ignorance, like Saul of Tarsus, who is himself a striking figure of Israel, being one “born out of due time” (1 Cor. 15:8). Six of the cities were appointed for those who had unintentionally shed blood, and such a manslayer was to remain outside his inheritance until the death of the high priest living in those days. And so it is with Israel: as long as Christ retains His present heavenly priesthood, Israel remains outside their inheritance, under the safe keeping of God. The present position of Christ—rejected and glorified—is a standing testimony to His rejection by the people, and His death in their midst. If Israel were to return now, it would be as though the shedding of His blood were a light matter, and the land would be defiled. But when this priesthood ends, Israel will be restored. Meanwhile, like those who dwell in the city without an earthly inheritance, the servants of God understand Israel’s condition and serve as a refuge, recognizing that the people remain under the watchful and gracious hand of God.