Bully's Blog

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” 1 Cor. 12:13

On the BH forum, Michael Jones observed:

“If you look up the words for “drinking into” lexically (Strong’s), you come up with the idea of plants being irrigated and soaking up water through the roots. Is this somewhat valid? Are we like a bunch of trees around an oasis in the desert?” [1]

I believe that very often, the word choices of the biblical writers are hints to the literary structure — especially when their word choices are a little unexpected or ambiguous. This one isn’t unexpected, but perhaps that’s because we are so familiar with this passage. It really is an odd turn of phrase. Could the Bible Matrix shed any light on it?

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or The Art of Noise

Must be wizards week!

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (NKJV) Hebrews 4:12

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (NKJV) James 2:18

The firmament was a veil to hide God’s throne from Man until he was ready to see God face to face. Of course, we see types of this throughout the Bible, Job, Jacob and Moses being notable examples. But no man had seen God until after Christ ascended and was presented as Facebread.

Your face is a veil of flesh that hides your brain, the source of your intentions. Your head is a microcosm of the Tabernacle at one level, and your entire body at another. You are a Garden and a Land.

Deceivers mask their true intentions with facial expressions and body language. Good spies can even pass a lie detector test. Between their true intentions and the flesh that is supposed to be communicating it, there is a deliberate disconnect. As in the Garden, it is the mind of a beast speaking with the eyes and mouth of a man.

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The first ‘cycle’ in the Joseph narrative wasn’t covered in Totus Christus. I have included it in Bible Matrix, and it contains some wonders.

Firstly, Joseph’s first dream (the bowing sheaves) is placed at Firstfruits – Day 3. His second dream (sun moon and stars) is at Pentecost – Day 4.

Secondly, Joseph receives his robe from Jacob at Passover (covering). It symbolises the firmament (Day 2). And his brothers cover it with goat’s blood at Atonement (covering). It symbolises the substitutionary animals and mediatory Man (Day 6). The giving and taking of the robe match chiastically.

Of course, these Scriptures predate the feasts in Leviticus 23.

Alexander Schmemann writes:

“O Lord our God, crown them with glory and honour!” says the priest after he has put the crowns on the heads of the bridal pair. This is, first the glory and honour of man as king of creation: “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue and have dominion…” (Gn. 1:25). Each family is indeed a kingdom, a little church, and therefore a sacrament of and a way to the Kingdom. Somewhere, even if it is only in a single room, every man at some point in his life has his own small kingdom. It may be hell, and a place of betrayal, or it may not. Behind each window there is a little world going on. How evident this becomes when one is riding on a train at night and passing innumerable lighted windows: behind each one of them the fullness of life is a “given possibility,” a promise, a vision. This is what the marriage crowns express: that here is the beginning of a small kingdom which can be something like the true Kingdom. The chance will be lost, perhaps even in one night; but at this moment it is still an open possibility. Continue reading

A thought from a student exam: In Mark’s gospel, as soon as the veil of the temple is torn, the centurion confesses Jesus as Son of God. It’s a crucial scene because it’s the first time any human recognizes Jesus as Son.

And the sequence of veil and confession is crucial. The temple existed to keep people away from the presence of Yahweh. Jews were called to be nearer, and Gentiles further. If the temple is open, it doesn’t fulfill this function anymore. There’s a way into the holy place, and at the very moment a way is made into the holy place the division of Jew and Gentile becomes irrelevant.

Peter Leithart, www.leithart.com

Brilliant observation. It reminded me that the firmament of Day 2 (and the 2nd Tabernacle speech, which concerns the veil) correspond to the Confession in the liturgical pattern set by the Creation week.

While we are thinking about how God tears things in two to create something new (as He did on the first three days of Creation), here’s another thought on Zechariah 14′s valley.

We know Jesus was temporarily “torn in two” under the curses of the Covenant, His flesh being the veil (Hebrews 10:20). But what about the relationship between the Father and the Son? They are eternally united by the Spirit, who throughout the Bible is the ‘matchmaker’ who also assembles and brings the bride to the Son. At His crucifixion, Christ was separated from the Father by the deep – the Abyss – to send sin to destruction and allow the bride into His relationship by the Spirit with the Father. God Himself became two mountains, Ebal and Gerizim.

By allowing Himself to be divided, the indivisible God has made something new. Now the Son will reign until all His enemies are His footstool.

What a God.

“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” – John 19:34

The spear reminds us that Jesus was a victim of both Goliath, the Gentile Sea Beast dressed in chainmail scales (Leviathan), and Saul, the Israelite King turned Land Beast (Behemoth). He was executed as a Balaamite (false prophet) by an apostate Phinehas, the corrupted High Priest who wished to retain the Covenant. The spear was thrust by the conspiracy of the serpent/dragon (Rome), and Adam and Eve (Herod and ‘Babylon’).

The 70 foot high veil in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The veil was His body (Hebrews 10:20). In Passover/the Red Sea, and in Jordan/Jericho, blood and water opened the door.

“I am the door.” – John 10:9