For They Shall See God

The Literary Structure of Luke 2

God loves architecture. He starts with a Garden, moves to stone, then to flesh. Should it surprise us that the Nativity and the events surrounding it follow the same patterns as the Tabernacle and the Creation week?

I have my own theory about the number of Wise Men who attended, which you can read here. But the events also seem to follow the matrix pattern. Here’s a suggestion:

Sabbath – God initiates events after a 400 year wait. He
establishes a new household. Mary is “overshadowed” by the Spirit
…..Passover – Joseph and Mary make an Exodus. Jesus is born
……….Firstfruits – The “vision” is opened to the Shepherds by angels
……………Pentecost – The “ruling star” appears
……….Trumpets – The Gentile wise men (elders) attend,
……….surround and demonstrate prophetic gifts
…..Atonement – Herod slaughters the innocents
Booths – The Shekinah glory of the True King with His holy family returns to the kingdom after Herod’s death (Succession)

Of course, as with the Old Testament texts, this initial “Atonement” becomes the Passover of a greater structure. And we see this exact pattern replayed in the entire New Testament history, don’t we? Notice the movement from wise angels to wise men, from servants to sons. Also, the “sign” is a prophetic Word (a kingdom promised at Ascension) that must be vindicated by sight, face to face, which occurs in this structure below at “Conquest.” The sign is not the actual babe in a manger. The sign is the fulfilment of this Word. The death of Herod prefigured the death of the antichrist’s Temple in AD70.

Luke 2 tells us about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (“House of Bread”). The first stanza of the chapter begins with an imperial decree (Initiation).

SABBATH – REST PROMISED (Genesis)

And it came to pass in those days [that]
…..a decree went out from Caesar Augustus (Delegation)
……….that should be registered (Law)
……………all the habitable world. (Rule of Law)
……….This census first took place (Law)
…..while Quirinius was governing Syria. (Vindication)

The last line gets its own “unopened” Covenant structure:

And
…..went all
……….to be registered,
…..everyone
to his own city. (Succession)

This final phrase reminds me of the death of the High Priest, which meant that anyone on the run, living in refuge cities, could return home.

“‘And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, [and] until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.’” (Joshua 20:6)

Notice that the action follows the “architectural pattern” laid down in Genesis 1-10:

Garden
…..Land
……….World
…..Land
Garden

PASSOVER – FIRSTBORN (Exodus)
Delegation

And Joseph also went up from Galilee,
…..out of the city of Nazareth, (Delegation)
……….into Judea, to the city of David,
……….which is called Bethlehem, (Firstfruits)
……………because he was of the house
……………and lineage of David, (Rulers)
……….to be registered with Mary, (Law received)
…..his betrothed wife, who was with child. (Oath, Creation of Adam)

Again, the final line is given its own Covenant structure, possibly to highlight that this particular birth, this Succession, was a fulfilment of the Covenant.

And it came to pass,
…..in the time they were there,
……….fulfilled
…..were the days
for her bringing forth. (Succession)

Notice that the first half concerns the Adam (Covenant Head) and the second the Covenant Body.

FIRSTFRUITS (Bronze Altar outside)

And she (Genesis)
…..brought forth (Exodus)
……….her firstborn Son, (Leviticus)
……………and wrapped-Him-in-swaddling-cloths, (Numbers)
……….and laid Him in a manger,
……….(Deuteronomy – Witness/Gentiles)
…..because there was no place for them (Joshua)
in the [guest room]. (Judges)

The correspondence here with Numbers might seem a bit odd, but it’s the death of old Israel in the wilderness, and Christ’s linen wrappings in the tomb.

According to my friend Aaron Gunsaulus, the word translated “inn” is more correctly a guest room, which means it was already occupied by other family. The same word is used for the room where the Passover was celebrated just before Jesus’ death (another chiasm!) So this is the outer room of the house where animals were brought in for the night.

Based on that fact, combined with the literary structure, we can make some typological observations. Jesus was left outside the “official” Passover household. Here, He is not “numbered” among the people of God (as in the book of Numbers, and also the numbered and sealed Jews in Revelation, who were part of the Firstfruits Church). At His birth, as these later martyrs would be, He’s already numbered as a transgressor.

“Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12

His being “counted” as a transgressor would expose the genealogies for what they were: lists of the dead. They would all be destroyed with the Temple. But He Himself was a new household, one in which the Old Leaven would be cut off.

FIRSTFRUITS (Table – Sacrifice awaits fire)

And shepherds (Sabbath)
…..were in the same country (Passover)
……….lodging in the fields, (Firstfruits)
……………keeping watch by night
……………over their flock (Pentecost/Lampstand)

Took me a while to figure out what’s going on here, but it seems to be only half a cycle. Aligning it with the pattern of sacrifice leaves us in the dark awaiting the holy fire. Aligning it with the Tabernacle furniture makes the shepherds the “watcher tree,” watchmen over the Table of Israel (Showbread). The other solution might be in combining these two sections as one cycle. Either way, we have the Great Shepherd and the lesser shepherds.

All of a sudden, their humility was rewarded, lawfully, with fire from heaven…
PENTECOST – LAW OPENED

And behold, (Creation)
…..an angel of the Lord stood by them. (Division)
……….and the glory of the Lord shone around them (Ascension)
……………and they feared with great fear. (Testing)
……….Then the angel said to them, (Maturity)
…..“Do not be afraid, (Conquest – Joshua)
for behold, (Glorification – Judgment)

Fear (or a condemnation for the lack of it) often occurs at the centre, where the Law is opened.

TRUMPETS – WITNESS/GENTILES

I bring good tidings to you (Ark opened)

…..of great joy which will be to all people. (Veil torn)

……….Three Level Tent – Head (Bronze Altar)
……….“For there is born to you this day a Savior, (Word)
……….who is Christ the Lord (Sacrament)
……….in the city of David.” (Government)

……………“And this [will be] the sign to you: (Lampstand)

……….Three Level Temple – Body (Golden Altar)
……….You will find a Babe (Word)
……….wrapped in swaddling cloths, (Sacrament)
……….lying in a manger.” (Government)

And suddenly
…..there was with the angel
……….a multitude of the heavenly host
…..praising God
and saying: (Laver – Crystal Sea revealed)

Three-level Temple filled (Shekinah)
“Glory to God in the highest, (Word)
And on [the Land] peace, (Sacrament)
goodwill toward men!” (Goverment)

The fifth stanza makes a big deal out of the three-decker Temple architectures, the one at Ascension being the Mosaic house of death, and the one at Maturity being the Davidic house of resurrection. Moving out a step, this is the fifth stanza, so the overall topic is the rebirth of the Temple in the body of Jesus. Structure isn’t easy, but ignoring it flattens the Bible. The Bible Matrix reveals it to be the absolute best pop-up book!

Notice that this cycle has its own circumcision (in red) and baptism (in blue).

ATONEMENT – VINDICATION

So it was,
…..when the angels had gone away
……….from them into heaven,
……………that the shepherds said to one another,

……….“Let us now (Genesis – Call)
……………go (Exodus)
………………..to Bethlehem (Lev/House of bread)
…………………….and see this thing (revelation)
………………..that has come to pass, (prophecy)
……………which the Lord (Mediator)
……….has made known to us.” (Human judges)

…..And they
……….came with haste
……………and found Mary and Joseph, (Covenant – Altar)
……………and the Babe lying in a manger. (Covenant – Table)
………………..Now when they had seen [Him,] (Lampstand)
……………they made known abroad (Witness)
……….the saying which was told them (Oath)
…..concerning this Child. (Succession)

And all those who heard
…..marveled concerning those things (Veil opened)
……….which were told
……….by the shepherds to them. (Law given)
……………But Mary (Law opened to Bride)
……….kept all these sayings, (Law received)
…..Pondering them (Law vindicated)
in her heart. (Rest, co-rule)

Notice that the shepherds see the sign fulfilled at the Vindication cycle within the Vindication stanza. At Atonement/Sanctions, there is no curse, only blessing, for the pure in heart.

BOOTHS – SUCCESSION – OUTFLOW

Then (Initiation)
…..returned the shepherds, (Delegation)
……….glorifying and praising God (Presentation)
……………for all the things (Purification)
……….they had heard (Transformation)
…..and seen, (Vindication)
as it was told them. (Restoration)

Jesus promised at the Feast of Booths that those who believe in Him will have an Edenic river of living water flowing from within. This final stanza is the “Booths” stanza.