We are continuing our observations of the divine pattern of how the number 2 is silently shouted throughout the 2 avenues of divine testimony (written word of God=Bible & spoken word of God=creation). We will also begin to highlight the danger of eliminating one of the two balancing aspects of every divine principle.

The 1st two of the 3 immortalization events into the Creator’s plan are separated by 2 millenniums. These also correspond to the 2 comings of our Messiah. Jesus came the first time as a mortal, issuing from a mortal mother impregnated by the power of the heavenly Father. This was at the end of the 1st Kingdom Age. He comes the 2nd time, after 2 days (divine days of 1,000 years each; Hosea 6:1-3) to preside over the 2nd immortalization event and to restore that Kingdom but as a heavenly Kingdom of God. That 1st Kingdom was initiated at Sinai under Moses. The 2nd Kingdom will be initiated at Jerusalem under Jesus Christ. 

The word of God is divinely identified as both the water of the word (with its two atomic elements of hydrogen and oxygen) and also as a 2-edged sword. A sword has 2 basic purposes (defend and attack) and 2 basic applications (parry/defend & thrust/attack). In the same way that word of God will be our judge and determine which of the 2 judgments will be assigned to us: forever death or forever life. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day (John 12:48). As we have noted, both of the witnesses of the word of God will be applied in our judgment. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Rom. 1:18-20). This phrase about creation being a witness when the wrath of God is revealed is often inappropriately deflected as applying to the unenlightened community, undoubtedly due to its condemning focus. However, the context specifically defines the application as being directed to those who “hold the truth”, which can only possibly apply to the enlightened community.  One cannot possibly be describing as ‘holding’ the truth without enlightenment. The features of creation (the things God has made) declare the invisible things of God from the creation of the world. Those within the enlightened community who undermine the righteousness of Yahweh are ignoring the testimony of creation and will suffer the wrath of God. They will be without excuse, due to not only the written testimony of God but, secondly,  His validating creational testimony.

Every divine principle has 2 aspects that have to be balanced. This is certainly true of the “fear of God”. However our enlightened community today is frequently and very inappropriately urged to eliminate the more unpleasant of the 2 balancing aspects of that divine principle. We know that the fear of God is a salvation requirement. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). 

The two aspects of the fear of God that have to be correctly balanced for a hopeful salvation are 1) respectful reverence and 2) actually being afraid of the consequences of contradicting God’s righteousness. Unfortunately, this 2nd fear of God category is endlessly denied currently in our enlightened community. It is presumed we can take our salvation for granted and that grace and forgiveness are unconditional. False comfort is treasured by a corrupted understanding of John’s statement that: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18). John is referring to a particular aspect of fear that is eliminated by a mature love. If this actually applied to ‘all’ categories of fear then this would mean that we don’t’ even have to exercise reverential fear, as that too would have to be eliminated by perfect love. Therefore, supposedly, one can be disrespectful to God without fearing consequences. That is absurd. Therefore there has to be a category of fear that is eliminated through perfect love but not all fear as that would be highly disrespectful to our heavenly father.

Presuming the enlightened community never has any reason to be afraid of divine consequences for encouraging our Creator’s disfavor is a direct contradiction of Christ’s warning: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28). Jesus advises us not to fear men, who can only kill us but have no power to keep us dead. Jesus strongly advises us to be afraid of the one who can not only kill us but keep us dead forever… which is God. The term “hell” is poorly translated from Gehenna, indicating the Valley of Hinnom where God promised to judge the highly disrespectful enlightened community (Jer. 7:30-34; 19:1-6). Since our savior advises us to be afraid of our potential rejection by God, why would so many Brethren in the truth so frequently recommend exactly the opposite? 

Fear can have 2 effects, just like fire. A controlled fire is life preserving and enriching. We use controlled fire to heat our homes, cook our foods, light our path in the dark, temper metal, cauterize a wound and sanitize. The sun is a perfect example of controlled fire, with its perfect 93 million mile distance from Earth. The 8 eternal fires in the divine construction of the Tabernacle underscore the creational testimony of fire. The 7 golden lamps in the Holy Chamber were to be refueled twice each day and never allowed to stop burning (Lev. 24:2). That 8th fire, consuming the altar offerings in the Tabernacle Courtyard, was also supposed to burn continually (Lev. 6:12-13). God spoke to Israel from the burning mountain when they camped at Sinai. In the same sense fear can be a valuable safety mechanism, protecting us from potential danger. 

But uncontrolled fire only destroys and kills.  Similarly fear that is not throttled by courage or wisdom only destroys. The fear of God is supposed to encourage us to refrain from thoughts, words and behavior that are disrespectful to our Creator. But unfortunately, the waterless wells and fruitless trees and wandering stars within our enlightened community promote unconditional forgiveness and over-emphasize the promise of grace, thereby disengaging the safety mechanism of the fear of engaging our God’s disfavor. They do this for personal advantage and community elevation. This imbalancing of divine principles is a symptom of podium addiction, telling Brothers and Sisters what they want to hear instead of what God wants to hear from us. 

Eliminating that 2nd aspect of the fear of God is extremely dangerous, disposing of a highly valuable safety mechanism in our pursuit of divine righteousness. We need to demonstrate both the more pleasant respectful & reverential fear as well as the unpleasant fear of the temporary and eternal consequences for contradictions to our Creator’s righteousness.  Paul describes his fear of rejection at Christ’s judgment serving as a preaching motivation. 

2 Cor. 5:10-11 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

Both fear of God aspects are required for a hopeful salvation. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:28-29). We need to cultivate both the reverential aspect of the fear of God as well as the godly fear that understands our God is a consuming fire. We, as the branches extending from the true vine (Jesus Christ, John 15:1-8), must bear fruit to the glory of our heavenly Father or we are nothing more than fuel for that consuming fire (Ezek. 15). That fear of destruction should offer a motivating energy, as it did with the Apostle Paul to preach the truth.

If we diminish the dual aspects of the principle of the fear of God into exclusively reverential fear we imbalance that principle, thereby threatening our relationship with Yahweh and Christ. Every divine principle has 2 aspects that have to be balanced. This is why it takes 2 to go from 6 to 8 and from curse to blessing and from death to life. The divine emphasis of the number 2 in the context of salvation is a theme saturating the 2 avenues of divine testimony: the Bible and creation.

BroJim@spiritsword.net 

We have noted that it takes 2 to go from 6 to 8… from death to life and from sin to righteousness. Let’s consider the 3 dimensional divine shadow testimony answering the significance of this simple observation. 

There is an extreme scriptural and creational pattern demonstrating a dual emphasis in the context of the principle of salvation and divine principles. The few examples offered in the previous 4 posts barely scratch the surface of this pattern. The critical issue in the recognition of this pattern is in how one of the dual aspects in a series of these features of our Creator’s truths and principles are being systematically denied by Brothers and Sisters within the enlightened community in this last generation of the Ecclesial Age.  This denial instead of the balancing of these dual aspects of our Creator’s truths and principles is what is fueling the prophesied divine unacceptability of this last generation just before divine enlightenment is no longer optional. The divine principles of atonement, sin, righteousness, life, the fear of God and the terms of judgment are being inappropriately reduced to a single application. This imbalances our understandings of these divine principles, which is extremely dangerous from a salvation hope perspective.

Let’s reference a few more examples of this extreme dual emphasis throughout the 2 avenues of divine testimony (Bible & creation) in order to cement this understanding. 

There are 2 saviors and we need both of them. God saves us. He is referred to as our savior all through scripture. However Jesus Christ is also our savior. It is presuming these are not 2 separate saviors but only 1 that defines the blasphemous doctrine of the trinity. Our 2 saviors are certainly not equal but there are 2 distinctly separate saviors we depend on for salvation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself (2 Cor. 5:19). Both Father and son are independently but cooperatively needed for our salvation, but there is no equality between these 2 saviors. 

There are 2 names for our divinely appointed savior: Jesus Christ. That name and that title define his distinctive dual origin of a human mother and divine Father. This recognition offers a demonstration of the ultimate application of the dual nature of all divine principles, the harmonizing of heaven and earth. Jesus Christ is the mediator between the Creator and mankind, where the dual investment of God’s image and likeness had been originally invested in that 6th evening and morning of creation but then forfeited due to choosing the serpent’s right-ness over the Creator’s.

Those 2 original design components of the image and the likeness of God were invested into the 2 structural components of the 2 genders of mankind. Those 2 structural components are scripturally defined as the dust of the earth and the breath from heaven. And Yahweh Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). Just as there was no equality in the 2 saviors and the 2 origin sources of Jesus Christ, there is no equality in the 2 genders of mankind. While that recognition has absolutely nothing to do with inherent value, it has everything to do with respecting the divine creation order and the Edenic gender judgments. This divine inequality in spiritual assignments is emphasized in the 2 gender based rituals of the Ecclesial Age: headcoverings during prayer and Sisters’ silence. 

There were 2 creational procedures divinely employed over those 6 creation days that were separated into the two categories of night and day. The first creational procedure was to verbally command individual components into existence or into place. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast (Ps. 33:6-9). However there was one component of creation that was not commanded into existence and that was mankind. Adam and Eve were crafted and not commanded into existence like the animals and plants.

Therefore it should not be surprising to realize each divine sanctuary was designed with 2 chambers. There was the Holy chamber where the priests entered every morning and night to perform 2 daily rituals. The priests had to refuel the 7 golden lamps & burn the incense inside that 1st of the 2 sanctuary chambers twice each day (Ex. 27:20-21; Lev. 24:2-3; Ex. 30:7-8). The 2nd sanctuary chamber was the Most Holy chamber. Only the High priest would enter this 2nd sanctuary section and only on the Day of Atonement. Once again, there is no equality in these 2 divisions of each of those 2 categories of sanctuaries. The first sanctuary category was the mobile tent produced at Sinai. The 2nd and 3rd divine sanctuaries were immobile buildings constructed at Jerusalem. All three of these divine sanctuaries had these 2 separate chambers, with that veil separating the two of them that is scripturally interpreted as representing the flesh of Christ (Heb. 10:19-20). 

That veil representing the flesh of our savior, separating those 2 temple chambers, was ripped into two components at the moment of the crucifixion death of Christ (Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). This action of the cleaving of 1 component into 2 in the context of salvation is a common theme throughout scripture. The memorial bread, also representing the flesh of Christ, has to be broken before being eaten in order to follow the pattern Jesus established at that first memorial service on Passover night. The Red Sea clave in two to both save the Israelites and to facilitate the destruction of the pursuing Egyptian cavalry’. Similarly if we imbalance a divine principle by dismissing one of the 2 categories of a single truth within the water of the word, we invite a similar fate. The Jordan River clave in two to permit the enlightened community to enter the promised land when the priests bearing the Christ Ark stepped into those waters about to flow into the mouth of the Dead Sea. In fact the Jordan River miraculously clave on exactly 3 occasions, paralleling the 3 immortalization events in the Creator’s plan. Additionally, the rock at Rephidim clave in two at the stroke of the rod of the future High Priest, wielded by Moses, to release the waters that would save the enlightened community from a thirsty death (Ps 78:15; Is. 48:21). That cleaved rock is also identified as a symbol of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 10:1-4). 

Both of the two salvation arks are shadows of the substance casting those 2 shadows: Jesus Christ. God mandated these 2 salvation arks to each have 2 coverings. Noah’s salvation ark had to have pitch applied both inside and outside. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (Gen. 6:14). It should be noted the verb translated as ‘to pitch’ here is the same Hebrew word predominantly translated as ‘make an atonement’ throughout the Old Testament. The 2nd salvation ark was the golden Ark of the Covenant. The 6 surfaces of the Acacia wood box had to be covered inside and outside with gold. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it (Ex. 25:11). That gold covering over the 6 panels of the Ark both inside and outside is a perfect parallel to the 6 sin offerings for guilty transgressional sins (the High Priest, a ruler, a commoner, the poor and the destitute; Lev. 4-5) and the 6 cleansing sin offerings for unclean physical conditions for which no repentance was required (healed leper, healed bodily issue, touching the dead, a woman who gave birth, the dedication of the Christ Altar of Burnt Offering and the annual sin offering for the entire Tabernacle on each Day of Atonement).

When our teaching and writing Brethren insist the principle of atonement has only the exclusive application of the forgiveness of sins, but not a 2nd application of a physical covering that cleanses from sin, they are denying our Messiah’s assignment as being the substance casting these two shadows in the context of his capacity to save. There are 2 covering aspects to atonement, not just one. They have to be understood and balanced. Isn’t it a fascinating observation that there are 2 shadow directions extending from the same substance each day in creation’s testimony of the terms of our Creator’s righteousness? Shadows generated by the sun extend west to east in the morning but from east to west after mid-day. There will be long & thin shadows or short & squat throughout the day, but the substance casting those 2 shadow directions is always the same. In the same manner the eternal divine truths will cast different temporary shadows throughout the 8 divine days of our Creator’s plan, but the substance is always the same. Let’s not discount the validity of this dual shadow observation from creation’s testimony as there are many more creational validations for this extensive pattern of dual applications of a single truth and principle.

This divine pattern, its significance and the dangerous implications of denying this duality of divine principles will continue in the subsequent posts.

BroJIm@spiritsword.net 

While it is childishly simple to recognize that it takes 2 to go from 6 to 8, that simple equation veils a vast wealth of hidden glory in the two avenues of our Creator’s testimony. The number 6 is the divinely appointed number assigned to identify everything related to the curse of sin and death that resulted from Adam & Eve’s contradiction of the Creator’s righteousness in Eden. The number 8 is the divinely appointed number assigned to identify salvation, immortality and our Savior. The difference between curse (6) and blessing (8) and death (6) and life (8) is this number 2. So we need to ask WHY this is the case. 

We have noted how the 6 alphanumeric Greek letters in the name of Jesus add up to 888. He is our savior. He is the man of righteousness. Those three 8’s shadow prophesy of the 3 immortalization events in the Creator’s plan (1) Jesus, 2) the saints at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom in the 7th day and 3) the saints just after the conclusion of the Millennial Kingdom in the 8th divine day). 

The man of sin is numerically identified by 666. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (Revelation 13:18). 

Before being able to address the huge significance of the difference between 6 and 8, let’s cement this observation concerning how that number 8 is identified with our Messiah, by noting more of its 3 dimensional nature. 

The Bible testimony resulting from the ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what we call the New Testament. It should not be surprising there have been a highly appropriate 8 sub-authors of the New Testament. These are 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, 4) John, 5) Paul, 6) James, 7) Peter and 8) Jude. However, admittedly, the entire New Testament was divinely inspired by Yahweh (the one true author).

Although there was a very long list of divinely required rituals during the 1st Kingdom Age we only see exactly 4 rituals divinely mandated during the current Ecclesial Age … that began about 2 millenniums ago. These 4 rituals are 1) baptism, 2) memorial service, 3) headcoverings during prayer and 4) Sister’s silence during Ecclesial worship. There is an absolute dual aspect to each of these 4 Ecclesial Age rituals, accessing that same ‘8’ identification with salvation and particularly our savior.

Baptism offers an obvious dual aspect as there are 2 components to any baptism projecting those 2 aspects of death and resurrection. We voluntarily descend into that water grave to validate our Creator’s righteousness in demanding death for sin in Eden. We rise again from that water grave and thereby shadow testify of our Creator’s righteousness in extending renewed life on the basis of grace, despite being right in demanding our death. This death and life testimony in the 2 baptism stages are referenced in Romans 6:3-5,11.

That dual aspect in the Memorial Service is quite obvious in those 2 components of bread and wine but doubly emphasized in that the bread has to be broken. That cleaving of the symbol of the body of Christ is a very common theme in a salvation context all through scripture including the tearing of the temple veil (also representing the flesh of Christ, Heb. 10:19-20); the cleaving of the rock at Rephidim to save the enlightened community from a thirsty death (Ps. 78:15, Is. 48:21, also representing Christ-1 Cor. 10:1-4); the cleaving of the Red Sea to save Israel from the murderous Egyptian cavalry; and the cleaving of the Jordan River to permit the enlightened community to inherit the promised land under Joshua’s leadership just before Passover. Interestingly that Jordan River running from the sea of life to the north into the sea of death in the south was miraculously cleaved on exactly 3 occasions with the 2nd and 3rd being by Elijah and Elisha. 

There are 2 ‘gender’ based Ecclesial Age rituals that share this dual emphasis. Brethren are forbidden from ever wearing a headcovering during either a prayer or prophesying. Sisters are required to cover their heads during any prayer at any time and were required to cover their heads during that 2 generational term at the beginning of the Ecclesial Age when the faithful (both men and women) could have the capacity to prophesy due to possessing that particular gift of the Holy Spirit. Once again we not only see a dual emphasis in this 2 gender based ritual but also its dual application of both praying and prophesying.

The 4th Ecclesial Age ritual was the 2nd that was gender based. Sisters were required to remain silent during worship and not serve as teachers of Brethren, only other Sisters and children. Therefore Brethren were required to educate, direct the Ecclesia and lead the worship activities. One gender is silent and one gender cannot be silent. Despite having the capacity to miraculously prophesy, Sisters were still required to be silent in the environment of the Ecclesia. At the conclusion of Paul’s rebuke in how the Corinthian Ecclesia was inappropriately exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit within the Ecclesia the Apostle demands the complete silence of Sisters. As in all churches of the saints, let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak (1 Cor. 14:33-34).

These 2 gender based rituals have their independent applications based on the 2 genders originally designed by the Creator. If we foolishly presume there are more than 2 genders by showing any respect to the divinely insulting presumptions of the society of the Sons of Men with their multiple LGBTH gender assignments, we suicidally contradict the divine pattern of the significance of this number 2 in the context of salvation. 

This relationship between 6 (sin & death) and 8 (righteousness and life) in the context of a pattern including the number 3 (identifying the number of immortalization events) is rather consistent in both scripture (the written word of God) and creation (the spoken word of God). 

If we are tempted to dismiss this dual pattern in the 4 Ecclesial Age rituals as inconsequential and unrelated to our Messiah’s identification with the number 8, it should be understood this is not an isolated pattern at all. The exact same pattern is demonstrated in the 8 people saved on Noah’s Ark. Just like the family of the saints that are now baptized into the one family name of the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19), there was one family on that salvation ark. There were 4 divisions of 2 in that family with 4 husbands and 4 wives, perfectly matching the 4 Ecclesial Age rituals with their dual emphasis and including a particular gender emphasis in 2 of those 4 rituals. 

The heaven and earth covenant between God and Abram demonstrates this exact same pattern in the 2 sets of animal categories of the cleaved beasts of the earth and the whole fowl of heaven (Gen. 15). The 3 beasts of the earth that are each 3 years old are cleaved into 6 sacrificial components, to which are added the 2 fowl of heaven. There is an unfathomable depth of glory in the details of this covenant sacrifice. The 3 genders of the 3 year old earthbound beasts perfectly parallel the spiritual gender identifications of the 3 parties to be immortalized (blending of earth & heaven) over 3 divine days in the Creator’s plan. The 3 year old ram parallels Christ, the groom in his marriage to the saints. The 3 year old heifer (female) and 3 year old she-goat parallel the two sets of Christ’s bride at the 2 immortalization events of the saints. These 3 immortalization events are scheduled over 3 divine days totaling 3,000 years (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). God required Abram to place those 8 sacrificial components into 2 rows, perfectly paralleling the 4 Ecclesial Age rituals with their obvious dual focus. Further emphasizing the legitimacy of this pattern in how each of the 4 parallel items share a foundational emphasis of 8 is how each of the earth beasts have 4 feet that are cloven hooves. This constitutes an 8 component foundation that is actually 4 sets of 2 (just like the family on the Ark with 4 sets of 2). Even the 2 fowl of heaven share a similar identification as each of the 2 (genderless) sacrificial birds have a 4 talon foundation to provide that same pattern of 8 in that 4th sacrificial stage. Is not Jesus, the man of eights, the foundation of our salvation hope?

This same 4 plus 4 pattern seen in the Ecclesial Age rituals, Noah’s Ark and Abram’s covenant is silently shouted to those with hearing ears, over and over in Ezekiel’s 3 cherubim visions. We will address these silent shouts in our next post as we continue to address this issue of why it takes 2 to go go from 6 to 8; why it takes 2 to go from sin to righteousness and from death to life.

BroJim@spiritsword.net 

The highly exaggerated dual emphasis in our Creator’s testimony should be extremely difficult to miss. But there are many issues that are silently shouted throughout our Creator’s intentionally complex testimony exclusively to those within the enlightened community who are and have developed the required seeing eyes and hearing ears Jesus references in order to escape the resulting filtering effect.

There is a dual nature to all divine truths and principles that is divinely shouted all through the two witnesses of our Creator’s righteousness. These two witnesses are the written word of God (the Bible) and the spoken word of God (creation). The created components and positioning recorded in the creation record reveal how all but one resulted from the verbal commands of the Creator. Man and woman were the only 2 components of creation that were not verbally commanded into existence or into place. They were crafted. Additionally those 2 genders were crafted in 2 stages with man first and woman second. Additionally we are only informed of 2 components in the construction of man. While the intelligent design of a human body is incredibly complex the Creator chose to communicate volumes to a select few by defining that design as being the dust of the earth to form the body and the breath of heaven being added to give life. This earth and heaven dual construction is the same pattern employed for the wilderness configuration for the national first born son of God (Ex. 4:22). That configuration is designed in 2 stages. The outer layer is political (earthly) with the 12 tribes positioned into a foursquare design. The inner layer is heavenly with the 3 Levite divisions and the priests also positioned into a foursquare design. In fact this is exactly the earth and then heaven pattern portrayed in Ezekiel’s prophecy of the 2 resurrection stages of that national first born son of God in the dry bones prophecy. 

Ezekiel is commanded to prophecy twice in chapter 37 in relation to the full restoration of the Jewish nation, including it’s repentance. As we noted in the 1st commentary in this Blog series, this first prophecy resulted in the skeletal reassembly of the dried out bones, followed by the sinew, flesh and then skin. This is the earthly or political resurrection that the world witnessed between 1947 to 1967 with the first 4 wars of Israel. The 2nd prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. This is when the 4 winds of heaven (Christ and the immortalized saints) will save Israel at the moment of their greatest peril and Israel will repent… being filled with that breath of heaven in their repentance before their Messiah. This repentance is detailed in Zechariah chapters 12-14. 

There will be a restoration of the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:6). This will be the 2nd Kingdom Age. The 1st was an earthly Kingdom, ruled by mortals. The 2nd will be a heavenly Kingdom, ruled by immortals. This 2nd Kingdom structure demonstrates the exact same dual pattern as the creation of Adam & Eve, the wilderness configuration and the 2 resurrections of the nation of Israel. Our last generation of the Ecclesial Age sits squarely between those 2 political and spiritual national resurrections.

These 2 Kingdoms of God (earthly preceding heavenly) parallel the 2 comings of Jesus Christ with his two identifications that is first earth and then heaven. Jesus came the first time to die, but without any personal transgressions. His death reconciled the faithful in that validation of the Creator’s rightness in demanding death for sin in Eden.  Christ comes again that 2nd time as an immortal to immortalize the faithful from among the enlightened community, demonstrating the right-ness of the Creator in graciously offering restored life despite His right-ness in first demanding death for sin. Judgment and grace are partners within the terms of our Creator’s righteousness… not contradictions. They are not equal, as equality is an illegitimate principle of the serpent frame of reference. Grace can be extended despite the legitimacy of judgment, but grace never eliminates judgment. That balancing equation is perfectly demonstrated in the divine response to King David’s sins of adultery and contract murder. Even after God forgave David so that he would not be executed, God judged David by requiring humiliating judgments against him including the death of that first son from Bathsheba. 

The 2 applications of the earth and then heaven Kingdom and the earthly and then heavenly coming of the Messiah are spelled out in the 2 names of our Savior. Jesus is the earthly name for the entirely mortal boy born of Mary. Christ is the heavenly title assigned our savior. In the same sense we have 2 saviors. Jesus could never have saved us independently of his Father. God makes this issue perfectly clear.  “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them” (2 Cor. 5:19-19). 

This dual highlight in the context of a salvation theme is incredibly extensive, absolutely saturating the 2 avenues of Divine testimony, the written words of God (Bible) and the spoken words of God (creation). A very obvious application would be the 2 generations of the 2 genders of people saved on Noah’s Ark. That number structure of 2 people with 2 genders in the 1st generation and the 6 children in the 2nd generation perfectly match the structure of Abram’s heaven and earth covenant described in Genesis 15. There were 6 cleaved beasts of the earth and 2 whole fowl of heaven placed into 2 parallel rows for that heaven and earth covenant, paralleling the 6 and 2 structure of the 2 generations saved when the flood waters issuing from both the heavens and the earth, cleansed creation.

The salvation frame for those 2 divinely designed historical incidents is emphasized in their shared numerical frame of 8 (8 people saved on the ark and Abram’s 8 sacrificial components). Eight is the number of salvation, our Messiah and infinity. It is rather odd to see the extreme over-emphasis on the number 7 presented by our enlightened community’s speakers and writers over the last 150 years or so. While the number 7 certainly has its degree of significance, it pales next to the divine emphasis of the number 8 throughout scripture. The number 7 does not indicate a finality, as does the number 8. While this is emphasized throughout a parade of applications, this significance order is certainly emphasized in how the 7th millennium (divine day) does not witness the conclusion of the Creator’s plan. After the Millennial Kingdom concludes there will be a rebellion from the surely enlightened global residents that will be crushed and then followed by a resurrection to judgment followed by necessary judgment and then followed by a resurrection to immortality by the always few who are chosen from every divinely imposed judgment on the enlightened community recorded throughout scripture. Then death itself will be eliminated (Rev. 20:6-15; 1 Cor 15: 24-28). All that is flesh (subject to the curse of sin and death) will be cut away in circumcision like fashion in that 8th divine day, not the 7th. This is why the circumcision ritual, with its emphasis on the 8th day, was greater than Sabbath observance, with its emphasis on the 7th day. This is why the Abrahamic covenant of faith (with its 8th day circumcision signature ritual; Gen. 17:11-12) is greater than the Mosaic Covenant of works (with its 7th day Sabbath signature ritual; Ex. 31:12-17, Deut. 5:12-15, Ezek. 20:12,20). This is why Jesus confirmed the Jews were right to circumcise a boy on the 8th day even though that seemingly violated Sabbath Law (John 7:21-24).  

This 8-structure in the salvation images of Noah’s Ark and Abram’s heaven and earth covenant are shadows from the same substance as the numerical significance of the name of Jesus, meaning He Who Saves. The 6 alphanumeric Greek letters in the name of Jesus add up to three 8’s. Iota=10 + eta=8 + sigma=200 + omicron=70 + upsilon=400 + sigma=200. These six letters add up to 888. These 3 eights in the name of our Savior shadow prophesy of the 3 immortalization events in the Creator’s plan that will be accomplished over 3 divine days (millenniums Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). These are 1) the immortalization of Jesus Christ almost 2,000 years ago and 2) the immortalization of the first set of saints at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom and 3) the immortalization of the 2nd set of saints just after the conclusion of the Millennial Kingdom. 

That salvation theme with its 8 frame is a frequent image strobe-lighting through scripture. Eight being the number of our Savior (in addition to salvation) is demonstrated in how Noah, projecting that ‘savior of the world’ status of Jesus, is scripturally defined as the 8th person (2 Pet. 2:5). Yet he was the 1st to be called, before his sons were even born. David, projecting the kingship of Jesus, was the 8th son of Jesse. Under the laws of the 1st Kingdom Age, 7 of the 8 acceptable animal sacrifice categories were acceptable to the Creator on the 8th day of its life (Ex. 22:30). Those 8 qualifying animal sacrifices were 1) male bovine – bullock, 2) male goat, 3) female goat, 4) male sheep, 5) female sheep, 6) genderless pigeon, 7) genderless turtledove and the 8th was the female bovine known as the red heifer. The fact that only 7 of these 8 animal sacrificial categories were offered in fire on the bronze Christ-Altar of Burnt Offering is highly significant in many ways, but those issues will only distract the foundational ‘dual emphasis’ narrative at this point. 

Additionally that circumcision ritual of cutting off the flesh on the 8th day shadow prophesies how the man of 8’s (Jesus) will eliminate death in that 8th divine day following the end of the Millennial Kingdom, that 2nd and heavenly Kingdom of God. 

That 8 salvation frame with an inserted dual emphasis is also very evident in the 4 divinely appointed rituals of the Ecclesial Age: baptism, memorial service, the gender based presence or absence of headcoverings during prayer and the gender based presence or absence of silence during Ecclesial worshipping and educational events. However the consideration of this application emphasizing the dual nature of divine principles within an 8 frame will be addressed in our next submission within a few days.

Again, if anyone has questions, objections, or criticisms you are welcome to communicate directly at BroJim@spiritsword.net .

Brother Jim Dillingham

We are the last generation of the Ecclesial Age. We have witnessed the flourishing of the national fig tree that Jesus declared would identify the generation that would not pass away before he would return in the clouds of heaven with power and glory (Matt. 24:34). We are that one generation between the two stages of Ezekiel’s dry bones prophecy (Ezek. 37). We have witnessed the 4 reconstruction stages of the nation of Israel. We have seen the skeletal reassembly, the addition of the sinew and then the flesh and then the skin. These four stages were fulfilled in the 4 wars won by the divinely restored Jewish nation of Israel from 1947 to 1967: 1) War of Independence; 2) War of Reprisals; 3) Suez Canal Crisis and 4) 6 Day War. However we have not seen the fulfillment of Ezekiel’s second prophecy where spiritual Israel will be restored with the breath provided by the 4 winds from heaven (indicating Christ and the immortalized saints). We know assuredly that the Millennial Kingdom will begin at some point within our last generation of this Ecclesial Age. 

We constitute the third of four transition generations that experience both the end of one divinely appointed age and the beginning of the next. A divinely appointed Age is defined by a change in the priesthood, a change in divine law and is validated by an extreme outpouring of miraculous divine power to validate those changes… that are historically resisted by the enlightened community. There is always a spiritual education focus shift with the introduction of a new divinely appointed Age. The divine intent is to prompt a new maturing stage but often this is resisted as the intended new educational focus is inappropriately presumed to be a replacement or contradiction to the legitimacy of the former mandated worship structure. 

The first Age-transitioning generation of the enlightened community was saved from Egyptian slavery at the conclusion of the Patriarchal Age. The new priesthood and new laws for that First Kingdom of God were introduced at Sinai but that generation was condemned to die in the wilderness without inheriting the promised land, due to their cowardly faithlessness. 

The second Age-transitioning generation witnessed the end of the First Kingdom Age and the beginning of the Ecclesial Age with its new priesthood structure and new laws and rituals. There was a maturing educational shift from works to grace and from an emphasis on personal righteousness to imputed righteousness. These changes were validated by an even greater public display of miraculous divine power. That transition generation saw the elimination of temple worship and experienced the prophesied violent judgments against them for rejecting the Kingdom that Jesus preached. We will be the 3rd of the 4 transition generations in the Creator’s plan. The Ecclesial Age is about to end with the introduction of the Millennial Kingdom when there will be a new priesthood structure, new laws and rituals assigned and a renewed educational focus that will be very different but complementary to the Ecclesial Age. There will be a dramatically greater outpouring of miraculous divine power to validate these changes as that Kingdom expands globally.

Our identification as the 3rd transition generation from one divine age to the next places us unfortunately but distinctly into a very uncomplimentary association. From this perspective our global Christadelphian enlightened community may not be as broadly acceptable from a divine perspective as we clearly presume ourselves to be. Our individual prospective salvations may not be as assured as personally presumed. We should be examining ourselves far more critically and recalibrating our compliance with our Creator’s righteousness in a far more energetic application than is currently being demonstrated. When we compare ourselves to each other and presume our acceptability within the enlightened community certainly must mirror God and Christ’s estimation, then we invite the same mistaken overconfidence demonstrated by the two previous ‘transition generations’ of the enlightened community.

Therefore these progressive commentaries are intended to provide value specifically to the future saints among the enlightened community in this last generation, whomever they may prove to be. We will be highlighting and coordinating divine testimony from the necessary two divine witnesses of scripture (the written word of God) and creation (the spoken word of God) to address a range of features of our Creator’s righteousness that have been and are increasingly being inappropriately challenged within the enlightened community of the Christadelphians.

The format we will be pursuing will embrace many different divine testimony patterns that are often far more visible, extensive and powerful beneath the surface of scripture. The validity of these patterns will also include scientific evidence from observing creation that will be accessible to anyone with just a primary level of education, as I have no college education to reference. These testimony patterns are rarely accessible to those without circumcised hearts, no matter whether one is part of the enlightened or unenlightened community. A heart controlled thought process always searches for self-validation and self-glory, as opposed to our Creator’s validation and glory. This tripping point is very common in our current Christadelphian community, resulting in a number of regularly presented contradictions to our Creator’s righteousness that are rarely addressed critically.

The primary question category we will address will be ‘why’. The ‘why’ questions in relation to subtle but extensive divine testimony patterns always address motivation issues, as opposed to the more structural how, who, what, where and when questions. Those who have responded to and pursued the universally available divine enlightenment are tasked with thinking very differently from everyone else. We must abandon the social standard of the default serpent frame of reference we are all born with and start thinking like our Creator. It is challenging to shift from a finite mental framework to an infinite thought structure. This will put us at odds with both the unenlightened community and many within the enlightened community. This observation may be emotionally unpalatable but is validated by recognizing the pattern in how the most divinely beloved men in the history of the world were often despised by the enlightened community of their particular generation… including Abel, Joseph, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Elijah, the apostle Paul and obviously Jesus Christ. 

While Christ’s new love commandment requires us to love our Brothers and Sisters in the truth more than ourselves we also have to love Yahweh our Elohim even greater, with ALL our heart and mind and strength and life. We must never permit ourselves to place the concerns of the Ecclesia above the terms of our Creator’s righteousness (His right-ness). 

Our next commentary in this progressive series will address the anti-intuitive structure of all divine testimony with its intentionally complex filtering design. If we are to avoid the multiplying stumbling blocks in the last few years before our eternal judgment, we have to recognize it is more difficult than often presumed to correctly understand and balance the terms of our Creator’s righteousness, which is defined as “the truth” in the Apostle Paul’s inspired writings.

There are two aspects to every single feature of our Creator’s truths and principles that have to be recognized and balanced, as they are not equal. One of the features of the prophesied divine disappointment of our last generation of the Ecclesial Age is how one of these dual aspects in many different categories is being increasingly denied, thereby imbalancing our understanding of the right-ness of our Creator. 

While responses to this continuing set of commentaries are certainly welcome, they will not be publicly displayed. If you wish to respond with objections, questions, challenges or to share observations you are invited to email me at brojim@spiritsword.net .

Brother Jim Dillingham