Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Husband and wife are said to "know" each other, and by doing so they are said to be one flesh. God "knew" or was One with Christ before Christ was formed in the womb of Mary. Christ is our salvation because Christ overcame the world.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Christ overcame the presence of egocentric Satan, and He was filled with compassion and love every moment He walked the Earth. Christ was perfect under the Law. Christ and only Christ lived up to the Law of God and deserved resurrection and eternal life under the Law. Christ returned to His Father to sit at the right hand of God, and He is to be at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool.
Psalms 110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
This relationship of Christ at the right hand
of God is obviously not a permanent one. At the end of creation the Day of
Judgment will arrive, and the egocentric angels will be made His footstool. At
that time the relationship of Christ at the right hand of God will come to an
end. When that time comes Christ will have a new name.
Both the Old and New Testaments mention that the Lord will have a new name. In
the Bible a name change marks a significant change in the person whose name is
being changed as when Abram became Abraham or when Saul became Paul.
Isaiah 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
If Christ is to have a new name, if He is to go through some kind of transition at the end of creation, why is it that the apostle Paul stated Christ will never change?
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
The apostle Paul is admonishing the reader to remain faithful to the true gospel. This is demonstrated by the words of Paul immediately following his statement that Christ would never change.
Hebrews 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
It is the gospel, the salvation of Christ that
has never changed and never will; and this becomes clear when the entire passage
is read.
Most of the references to the Lord receiving a new name at the end of creation
are found in the book of Revelation. In the book of Revelation the Lord is
called is "Alpha and Omega", and He is referred to as "which is,
and which was, and which is to come".
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
"Which is, and which was, and which is to come" is referring to the Almighty as it plainly states; it is referring to God the Father.
Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
It is God the Father who is on the throne so when Revelation uses the words, "which is, and which was, and which is to come", it is talking about God the Father.
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
"Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending" these descriptions are referring to the Lord, which is Christ the Lord.
Revelation 1:11-13 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book......being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Revelation 1:17-18 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Christ is the one who is called "the Son of man"; Christ is the one who was dead and is alive for evermore. It is Christ who is called "the first, and the last", and He is called "Alpha and Omega", and He is called "the beginning and the ending".
Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:12-13 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isaiah 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
"Alpha and Omega", "the
beginning and the end", "I am the first, and I am the last",
unlike the description of God these descriptions of Christ say nothing of the
middle. This is because the middle is not exactly the same as the beginning and
the end. There was a change to Christ during the middle, which is to say during
creation. During creation Christ put on flesh, He was resurrected, and He
carried flesh back to Heaven with Him. During the middle He was different, but
it is the beginning and the end that are tied together. In the end Christ will
be as He was at the beginning. The emphasis on the beginning and the end
explains what the name change is all about. This is why He is said to have a new
name; Christ will return to the Father and be as He was before He came into the
world.
In the 21st Chapter of Revelation the Lord God proclaims that "it is
done". This means that something very significant has occurred.
Revelation 21:5-6 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
After saying "it is done", God says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end". These are words that had been used to describe Christ, but not to describe God. The significant event which is being foretold here is Christ going back to God. God is actually using words to describe Himself that had been used only to describe Christ. It is as if God is calling Himself by the name of Christ. By using words that had been used to describe Christ, God is indicating that after this big event occurs, Christ is now God; and God is now Christ. They are once again united as One as they were before creation.
Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
At the end of creation Christ discards the fleshly body He carried back to Heaven; He goes back to God and again is One Being with God. What is fair for Christ is fair for everybody else. For when Christ receives a new name all of the children of God, all those with the spirit of God in their hearts, will be called by another name.
Isaiah 65:15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:
This is the separation of the righteous and the ungodly, the separation of the sheep and the goats; it is the separation of flesh and spirit. For while man was made flesh and spirit--one person, with this separation each child of God becomes two people.
Matthew 25:32-34 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Once the children of God are separated from their flesh their spirits are found worthy of eternal life in the complete fairness and justice of the Law of God. The spirit which is in the heart of God's children, which comes from God, is composed of love and does not sin. The spirit is often called a seed in the Bible. It is a seed of love planted by God in the hearts of His children. Like God, our spirit is perfect; and once the selfish part of us is discarded we will have perfect love for God and for each other.
1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Our fleshly bodies are destroyed in Hell. Our
ego or inner self will remain with our spirit not our flesh just as when the
Messiah separates Himself from His flesh. If a person is not a child of God, if
a person does not posses a spirit of love, they have nothing in themselves
worthy of eternal life to separate from their flesh; and they are destroyed body
and soul in Hell.
Christ stated the necessity of separating the flesh from the spirit without
which the whole person is not worthy of eternal life and is cast into the fire.
Matthew 5:29-30 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
In this passage Christ is basically saying that
if a being is part good and part evil, throw away the part that is evil and keep
the part that is good.
With Christ it is no longer necessary to be perfect. As long as a person
possesses something inside themselves which is love and which is perfect, that
something can be separated from their flesh. That spirit, combined with the
inner self, results in a person who is completely perfect.
1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
The redemption of Christ is necessary because
God will not modify any angels or humans. If God modifies other beings any time
He chooses these beings are not separate entities; they are merely extensions of
God. If we are nothing more than extensions of God then by God's loving us God
is only loving Himself and being loved by Himself. God must respect us as
separate entities, He must judge us as separate entities, and He will not modify
us as if we are toys. Christ, however, is one of us; and when Christ discards
His flesh it is only fair that we be given the same opportunity.
The spirit is unselfish love in the heart of all children of God. It comes from
God. God is Love, and all love comes from God. There is nothing a person can do
to obtain that spirit. If a person does not already have that spirit they have
no desire for it. To seek after God, to believe in Love, to feel compassion,
these are evidence that the spirit is in the heart. It is put there by God when
a child of God is born. By definition a child of God is someone who has this
love in their heart. As long as we have love within us, we will have eternal
life regardless of our religious beliefs and affiliations. It is the love within
us which comes from God and is the true child of God. The love within us has
committed no sin and deserves eternal life once it is separated from our flesh
and judged as a separate being.
When the Bible talks of the righteous, the pure, those born of God, it is
talking about the spirits inside the children of God. When the Bible talks about
the wicked, the ungodly, it is often talking about the flesh including the flesh
of the children of God.
Grace is the separation of this spirit from the flesh, and water which cleans
things is often used in the Bible to symbolize or represent Grace. When Moses
was commanded by God to sacrifice a heifer, the heifer was symbolic of the
Messiah; and the sacrifice was referred to as a water of separation.
Numbers 19:9 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
We clean ourselves with water to remove earthly soil, to separate ourselves from lifeless dirt. This is what clean is, and this is what water does when we wash ourselves in it. Water separates the living body from lifeless dirt and dead skin cells. Grace is called the water of life; and it separates love, which is the spirit, from the flesh.
Ezekiel 16:9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Water represents many things in the Bible. In addition to being symbolic of Grace that cleans the spirit, water is also used in the Bible as symbolic of the spirit which is separated from the flesh. The spirit is called living water. Water is what remains if the dust and ashes are removed from the body just as the spirit is what remains once the flesh is removed.
John 7:38-39 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
While the spirit is represented by water, the flesh is actually made primarily of water. In the Old Testament water was often separated from water. On the second day of creation God divided waters from waters.
Genesis 1:6-7 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the 1waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
The "waters which were under the firmament" are our fleshly bodies under Heaven. The "waters which were above the firmament" are the spirits in the children of God that came from above, and God divided or separated these two waters. God also divided water from water when He delivered the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt.
Exodus 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
Exodus 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
When the children of Israel were delivered into the Promised Land it was accomplished by dividing waters from waters, this time the waters of the Jordan River.
Joshua 3:16-17 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right againstJericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
Water was often separated from water in the Bible; and water, blood or oil was often sprinkled. To sprinkle blood or water is to separate it into smaller pieces. Sprinkling a liquid does not divide it into two pieces as in the separation of flesh and spirit; sprinkling a liquid divides it into many pieces, but it is the nations that are sprinkled. All of the occasions in the Torah where blood, water or oil is sprinkled, it is symbolic of the Day of Judgment when the nations of Earth will be sprinkled.
Isaiah 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
This description of what happens on the Day of Judgment is repeated in the New Testament. Instead of being sprinkled, in the New Testament the nations are said to be separated.
Matthew 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Throughout much of the Torah, blood, water or oil is sprinkled. Blood was sprinkled round about the altar, upon the altar, before the Lord, upon the tent or before the veil.
Leviticus 1:5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Leviticus 3:2 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
Leviticus 4:6 And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary.
Leviticus 16:14-15 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
The blood of lambs was symbolic of the blood of Christ through which we are redeemed; the sprinkling of blood was symbolic of how the blood of Christ would provide redemption. The abundant references to sprinkling or separating do not mean separating one person from another person. It does not mean separating good people from bad people. Individuals are sprinkled and by being sprinkled they are made clean.
Exodus 29:21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
Numbers 19:19 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
Ezekiel 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
Leviticus 14:4-7 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
The ceremony that was used to cleanse someone
with leprosy involved two birds. One bird was killed in an earthen vessel; a
second bird, a living bird, was turned loose. The living bird that was turned
loose represented the spirit in the child of God that is released from the
flesh. The flesh was represented by the bird that was killed.
Blood, water or oil was often sprinkled on a single individual for cleansing,
but there were other times when blood was sprinkled before the veil. The veil
stood between the people and Holy parts of the temple. Only the priest was
allowed in the Holy places. The priest represented Christ the only one who
overcame the Law and deserved resurrection to eternal Heaven. As far as the veil
that stood between the people and the Holy, it was prophesied that the altar
would be torn.
1 Kings 13:2-3 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
When Christ was crucified the veil was rent or torn in two. This tearing of the veil eliminated what stood between the people and the Holy just as the death of Christ eliminated what stood between the children of God and Heaven.
Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
The veil is torn into two pieces just as Christ
will separate Himself from His flesh. The rocks also rent just as the children
of God will also be separated from their flesh.
The sprinkling of blood in the Torah is the sprinkling of humanity on the Day of
Judgment, but there were occasions in ancient ceremonies when blood was poured.
When blood was poured some of it was placed on the horns of the altar and the
remainder was poured at the bottom of the altar.
Exodus 29:12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
Leviticus 4:7 And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Leviticus 4:18 And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Leviticus 4:25 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.
The horn of the altar where blood was placed with the finger is Christ. Zacharias, the father of John, called Christ the "horn of salvation".
Luke 1:67-69 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
The "bottom of the altar" is the Earth. The pouring of blood in ancient ceremonies represents the shedding of the blood of Christ in the Earth. The "bottom of the altar" "is at the door of the tabernacle". Christ stated that He is the door, and the blood was always poured "at the door of the tabernacle".
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
This pouring of blood is the sacrificing of the Messiah. Grace is represented by water, but while the plan of salvation is represented by water providing that water required blood. It required someone live up to the Law and defeat death, that someone was the Messiah.
Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
1 John 5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
Zechariah 9:11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
Without the death and resurrection of Christ the pit of death would have no water which is to say it would have no way to wash or purify the soul. Christ was perfect and under the Law He deserved eternal life. His life had to taken. By the Law of God, Christ would have never died of natural causes or disease. God had to look away and forsake Christ. The death of Christ was inconsistent with the Law of God.
Psalms 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
This absence from God was what Christ feared. Death is not to be feared; the worst, the most fearful condition to be in is to be apart from the Great Loving God. Absence from God is a condition we will never experience. We can leave God, we can leave and not observe the commandments of God, we can even deny the existence of God; but God will never leave nor forsake a single one of His children. God watches over those who have love in their heart even in death.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
1 Samuel 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.
2 Corinthians 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Psalms 94:14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
Isaiah 41:17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Christ prayed that "this cup", this absence from God be removed; but the answer to Christ was when the disciples fell asleep. The strength of the disciples had failed them just as the strength of all humanity has failed, and we will sleep forever in death if not for the Grace of Christ.
Luke 22:39-46 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
Christ had to be killed then justly resurrected from the dead only then He could discard the flesh He wore on Earth, and fairly provide the same treatment for all of God's children. So not only is the spirit (love) in ones' heart essential for one to have eternal life, the water which is the separation of flesh from the spirit is also essential. This means the blood of Christ is essential as well.
1 John 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
The Biblical references to redemption by
separation are abundant. There is the sprinkling of blood, the tearing of the
veil, the separation of waters from waters that delivered the Israelites into
the Promised Land, but these are just the beginning.
At the actual beginning, on the very first day of creation, God divided the
light from the darkness:
Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
After dividing the waters from the waters on the second day, on the third day God gathered the water together separating it from the land:
Genesis 1:9-10 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
On the forth day God divided the day from the night.
Genesis 1:17-18 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
When Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven, symbolic of the resurrection, Elisha tore his clothes in half.
2 Kings 2:11-12 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
In the Passover the Jews were separated from the Egyptians. Israel as a nation was born in bondage; Israel was bonded to, or a part of, Egypt. The Israelites represented the spirit and the Egyptians represented the flesh in which the spirit is contained. By the Passover, Israel was set free. It was because of the blood of a sacrificed lamb that the Israelites were "passed over" by death just as the spirits in the children of God will escape death due to the sacrifice of the Messiah.
Exodus 12:12-13 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
When the waters of the Red sea were parted all the Israelites survived and all the Egyptians were destroyed. This is because God is in complete control, and He will not lose a single one of His children.
Exodus 14:28-29 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Yet another indication of Grace by separation was the "vow of separation". A person who took this vow was called a Nazarite.
Numbers 6:5-8 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
Numbers 6:18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.
A Nazarite is a representation of the spirit
inside the child of God. A Nazarite must separate himself from dead flesh; they
do not go near a dead body. The hair on the head of the Nazarite is shaved and
burned in the fire just as the flesh is thrown in the fire after it is separated
from the spirit.
Yet another way in which the Bible reveals the plan of salvation is circumcision
which is when part of a person is removed.
Genesis 17:10-11 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
The apostle Paul referred to salvation as the
"circumcision of Christ". Not only is the flesh of the foreskin
removed, the circumcision of Christ is said to put off the body. The body it
puts off is called the body "Of the sins of the flesh".
Whether it be circumcision, the Passover, or Nazarites, whether it be separating
water from water, or the sprinkling of blood--purification by separation is a
dominate theme throughout the Old Testament. Most organized Christian religions
have always believed that all of this purification by separation means
separating good people from bad people, or they believe it means separating us
from our sin while retaining our flesh. Yet no words or actions can relieve the
flesh of its responsibility for sin so that the flesh deserves unlimited joy and
eternal life. The flesh is guilty, and God can not overlook our sins while
holding Satan accountable especially since we can not overlook the sins of
others. The spirit can be fairly resurrected to eternal life because no sin or
condemnation of others comes from the spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Galatians 5:19-23 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Christ said He would give up His body.
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After His resurrection Christ showed His disciples He still had His fleshly body.
Luke 24:39-40 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
Christ keeps His word which means at some point He will give up His body. Then it will be fair for us to give up our bodies. Separated from our flesh, we will be spirit beings in Heaven. We will be like angels. This should not be frightening since it is quiet a promotion. The spirit world is virtually unknown to us, but it is a higher level of reality than the physical universe.
Luke 20:35-36 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
The flesh is said to rest in hope, but that does not mean the flesh will have eternal life or even has any hope of eternal life. The Bible often talks of the "hope" of the resurrection.
Psalms 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Proverbs 14:32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Lamentations 3:26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
The flesh may rest in hope; and the flesh is certainly resurrected for the judgment; but as the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, the hope of salvation is for that which is unseen.
Romans 8:22-25 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
The flesh is not said to have eternal life, but
only to rest in hope. The gift of eternal life is for the spirit. This is the
hope in which the flesh rests; the hope is for the spirit which is "that we
see not".
Paul talks about the "redemption of our body"; but he is talking about
those who are the children of God, who have, "the firstfruits of the
Spirit" (those who have love). Paul is talking about the child of God, but
he is not referring to the entire child of God; he is only referring to those
who "groan within ourselves". (Paul is only talking about the love
within us. The love within us is the true child of God which came from God.)
Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Paul is talking about the spirit "within" the child of God. The "we" who are redeemed are those who "groan within". "The redemption of our body" is referring to the spirit or the spiritual body that is within the child of God.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
The apostle Paul often wrote of the spirit and the flesh. His words seemed to indicate that those who follow the Spirit are the children of God and those who follow the flesh are bound for destruction. This is true, but Paul is not always referring to two different groups of people. Often he is referring to the two different people in each child of God. Paul often talks of the spirit and the flesh that make up one person as if they are two different people because with the Grace of Christ they are two different people.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
It is not true that church members always walk
after the Spirit while atheists always walk after the flesh. Church members will
sin and walk after the flesh. Most atheists have compassion for others. This
means they have a spirit and when they act on that spirit they are walking after
the Spirit. It is the spirit itself within the child of God that always walks
after the Spirit even the spirit within an atheist. The spirit within can not
sin for it is love whether it be in a church member or in an atheist. Likewise,
in both groups, the flesh always walks after the flesh and is not capable of
true righteousness.
To understand the writings of Paul, understand that good versus evil is not one
group of people versus another group of people; it is not us against them. Paul
talks of spirit against flesh not Christian against heathen. There is good and
evil within all the children of God in all nations and religions. This good
versus evil is the flesh against the spirit; this is the good and evil that is
separated on the Day of Judgment. To understand the writings of Paul always try
to determine if he is talking about two different people; or if he is talking
about the spirit and flesh, the two different bodies in each child of God.
Romans 8:5-6 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
In this passage Paul is not talking about two different groups of people. "They that are after the flesh" and "they that are after the Spirit" are the same people. Each child of God contains both a natural mind and a spiritual mind. For the carnal mind is death, but for the spiritual mind is life. Paul said he himself sometimes followed the flesh; even he was both spiritual and carnal.
Romans 7:17-24 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
If Paul, the one who brought us the gospel was both spiritual and carnal, then surely all the children of God alive today are both spiritual and carnal. If we feel love, if we perform charity, if we do any good thing, it comes from our spiritual body. If we behave selfishly it comes from our natural body. The natural man, which is our physical body, is not capable of righteousness. This is true of all flesh, whether it be the flesh of the child of God, or the flesh of someone who is not a child of God. Someone who is not a child of God is only flesh and does not have a spirit of love and cannot therefore please God.
Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Those of us who are children of God and are honest will admit that we are currently both spirit and flesh and we follow both the Spirit and the flesh. Sometimes we are good and compassionate, and sometimes we are selfish or self-righteous. Within each of us, the spirit always follows the Spirit, and the flesh always follows the flesh.
Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Paul said, "For what the law could not do,
in that it was weak through the flesh" meaning the Law could not provide
righteousness. Satan manipulated the flesh to destroy the children of God
including the spirits inside the children of God. Satan made the Law unrighteous
in that the spirits of love would have to be destroyed under the Law. Christ
fulfilled "the righteousness of the law" by making the Law just in
that the Law does not destroy the spirit. With the Grace of Christ the spirit is
judged separately from the flesh.
The spirit in the child of God comes from God. The spirit is love for God is
Love and all love comes from God. The spirit walks after the Spirit and is bound
for life, but the flesh walks after the flesh and is bound for death. If we
commit both sin and righteousness, if we posses both flesh and spirit then we
are bound for both death and life. We must each become two people for this to be
possible. We must be separated, our flesh from our spirit.
Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Separated from the flesh, the spirit in the child of God is without sin and God has thus provided eternal life for all His children. He will not lose a one. Even those who have lived and died without ever hearing the word "Jesus", even those who do not believe in God will live again in the kingdom of Heaven if the Love of God is in their heart. Because of Christ all of the children of God (spirits of love) in all nations and religions will fairly deserve eternal life.