Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Bible Symbology

 Why did Moses get in so much trouble for disobeying God by striking the second biblerock, as the first, rather than to speak to it as God had instructed? Why was Moses to build the tent temple with the precise measurements God gave? God didn’t tell people to do some ‘thing in a specific manor just for the heck of it. It was because it symbolized something in His plan. If it wasn’t done exactly, it would mess up the symbology. How about Moses not being permitted to enter the Promised Land because of the rock incident? Why strike the first rock to bring forth water but speak to the second? What was the significance? What was the symbology? Did it symbolize the water of life; OC AND NC?

We notice the differences between the OC and the NC: One was harsh, the other was not.

Water is representative of the Holy Spirit;

  • Which came easily in the NC: We have the second rock being spoken to, to bring forth water.
  • But it came with difficulty in the OC: We have the first rock being struck to bring forth water.

David said: Ps.11:51 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Ge.41:38 So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man (Joseph), one in whom is the spirit of God?"

Ex.35:30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God…

1 Sam 10:6 The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.

Continuing on, open your bible and let’s examine Ex. 12. There are all kinds of symbology here. Let’s start in Verse 1 Yahweh said…

V2 This particular month, the month they would hold their first Passover, was to be the first month of their year. Why? If we look at the symbology of Passover, is it because it represents a new beginning; a new life, as a new person in CHRIST?

V3 We know why a lamb. It represents JESUS.

V4, 10 Why are there to be no leftovers, why are they to burn it if there is? Perhaps it was because JESUS’s sacrifice was complete i.e. what needed to be done for salvation was fully done. JESUS saidIt is finished”. When he died on the cross to pay our debt for sin, the debt was actually paid in full, or i.e., no leftovers.

V5 lamb without defect represents a perfect JESUS. Someone without sin, to pay the debt owed for our sins. V3 Why choose the lamb on the 10TH day of this 1ST month of the year? According to the Jewish calendar, Passover is celebrated on the 15TH day of Nisan thus reasoning that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the 10TH day of Nisan.

V6 why care for it until the 14TH day, when they were to slaughter it at twilight? Why twilight? This is when JESUS would die on the cross.

V7 Putting the blood of the lamb on the door post is symbolic of that home, that household being covered by the blood of CHRIST.

V8; why is the lamb to be roasted by fire? Why the bitter herbs? Is it symbolic of JESUS’ crucifixion? Is this symbolic of picking up your cross and bearing it?

V8; Bread without yeast is symbolic of life without sin. CHRIST’S blood covering/removing our sin, through his payment of our debt.

V8-9 Again, why roasted over a fire? Why are they to not eat it raw or cooked in water? Remembering that water is representative of the Holy Spirit. Offerings and sacrifices are done by fire also. This too is symbolic. We read in the Bible how God refines us like gold through fire. Fire is a symbol of; divine presence, divine protection, and divine judgment. When we think about baptism; water temporarily cleanse the outside, but fire permanently purifies entirely/completely.

V10 The lamb is to be consumed completely. Symbology: CHRIST in us. If any remains it’s to be burned. Symbology: CHRIST taken up to the Father? The meat is flesh. CHRIST is flesh. Smoke from the burnt flesh rises up to the Father, just as the Spirit of JESUS rose up to the Father?

V11 They are consuming the lamb – receiving JESUS in them, the in-dwelling of JESUS. This is how they were to do it; with cloak tucked into belt, sandals on, staff in hand, eat in haste, this is YAHWEH’S Passover. That sound like preparedness to flee Egypt. What is the symbology? We receive CHRIST in us and we are to be prepared for his return, because he could come like a thief in the night – when we are least expecting it. What of the eating ‘in haste’? This is about the urgency of receiving CHRIST in us, because we don’t know when He will return, just as they weren’t sure when they would flee Egypt.

V12 YAHWEH says he’ll pass through Egypt on that same night, bringing judgment, striking down all first born, man and animal; because Israel is God’s firstborn son and Pharaoh refused to let him go to worship Him, therefore God says He will kill Pharaoh’s firstborn son; Ex. 4:23 He would be bringing judgment on all the gods of Egypt. Egypt is symbolic of sin. The gods of Egypt could be symbolic of our idols – the things we put before God. He states; “I am YAHWEH.” …But why the first born males? What does this symbolize? All first born males, man and animal, God said, belonged to Him. JESUS is first born male.

V13 The lamb’s blood is a sign for them, a sign that they had eaten the lamb. The blood of the lamb set them apart from Egypt/sin. Symbolic of the blood of JESUS covering our debt, setting us aside from the world, from sin and having received the lamb/JESUS in us. Being set aside from his judgment/wrath, saying “No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

V22 Moses told them that none of them were to go out of their houses until morning. In the house, they are protected by the blood of the lamb from his wrath. By morning his wrath would be over and it would be safe for them to come out.

(Look at Is.26:20 Go my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.

21 See, YAHWEH is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins.

Also; 1 Th. 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to…)

V13, 23; 13 He said that those covered by his blood will not be touched by the destructive plague. That 23 He won’t permit the destroyer to enter the hoses of those covered by his blood and strike them down.

V28 the Israelites did as they were commanded - They acted in faith and were saved. Everything they did for this 1ST Passover was an act of faith. Could they have been saved from slavery in Egypt without this faith? No. The destroyer would have killed the first born male of any family, had they not had the faith to cover their door post with the blood of the lamb and remain inside until it was safe to come out. We, also, are saved from slavery to sin by our faith. We receive CHRIST in us and are covered by his blood, protected from his wrath.

Now I ask you to notice something else; JESUS is all over this symbology, as we all know, and as I have pointed out by the ALL-CAPS in various places throughout. And we see the correlation to the covering of his blood; Jesus in us; saved from his wrath. We know that Jesus returns to bring judgment. His wrath comes upon those living in sin – uncovered by his blood, those who have not received Jesus/the Lamb in them.

Living in sin/the Egyptians living in Egypt/those not Gods living in sin. These were those whom had not covered their door posts/homes with the blood of the lamb. They had not eaten/received the lamb in them. They were struck down and killed – all first born male, man and animal.

As I said, in my opening; God didn’t tell people to do particular things in particular ways just for the heck of it. It had to be done in the EXACT way he specified because it’s all symbolic of his plan. It’s like fractals. They are identical and yet each an individual. All the individual symbols are fractals of the plan. If not done precisely as God instructs; it messes up the symbology (He 8:5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”). It is by these fractals that we can better understand the Bible – They must correlate, correspond. If what we understand to be true doesn’t fit the fractals, then we are misunderstanding something and need to rethink it with prayer.

Now here are some points to contemplate in light of all this symbology, these fractals, the precision:

· Jesus (Yahweh) is the one who comes in wrath to bring judgment. Does it fit the symbology, the fractal, if it was the Father (Yahweh) who passed over Egypt? (V12, 13, 16) That messes it all up! How? It is not the Father, but JESUS who is coming in wrath to destroy those not covered by His blood. If it was the Father who passed over Egypt with the destroyer, then it would have to be the Father who comes in wrath, in order to fit the symbology. So we deduce it was Jesus (Yahweh) who passed through Egypt with the destroyer. Now it fits the symbology, the fractal.

· Jesus (Yahweh) is not coming back to kick the butts of believers. They are covered by His blood. Remember - (Is.26:20 Go my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See how this fits the symbology, the fractal, of the Israelites in Egypt? 21 See, YAHWEH is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. Also; 1 Th. 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to…) V13, 23; 13 He said that those covered by his blood will not be touched by the destructive plague. That 23 He won’t permit the destroyer to enter the hoses of those covered by his blood and strike them down.

The symbology of the Bible is a very important tool to understanding, and the symbology is obviously very important to God because it precisely represents His plans, and He obviously does not want it messed up/messed with - Remember when Moses messed up the symbology and struck the 2ND rock? His severe punishment was that he would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land.

This should get us all thinking about symbology and better understanding the Bible. If you have thoughts on the symbolism of something in particular in the Bible, we would love for you to share it! Let the discussions begin!

************

It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on my current understanding. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom.

************

4 comments:

xHWA said...

It's very good to look in to these things, Seeker. Thanks for taking the time!

I am very interested in a few of the points you brought up. I would like to read it over again and pray a bit before I say anything, though.

You asked if anyone has anything to add in regards to O.T. symbolism, and I remembered a post I had written a while back about the prophecies of the book of Genesis. Follow the link to read it, if anyone's interested.

I am certain there are a lot of people with more to add to this. I can't wait to read some of those comments!

Seeker Of Truth said...

xHWA,

Thanks, and your welcome.
I"m looking forward to anything others have to add as well.
I will follow that link and read that Genesis post again to refresh my memory. Thanks for adding it.

Seeker Of Truth said...

Wow, I forgot what a great article that was!
Excellent insight! Definitely an article worth returning to.

You know, something my sister does, is to print out posts and put them in a three ring binder for easy reference.
I admit, I haven't done so but I really should! That one should be definitely be in it.

xHWA said...

Oh, come on! NOBODY has anything to add to this????