JOHN, Chapter 21 – The breakthrough of and into the divine life (Part 2)

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book, explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle

The breakthrough of and into the divine life
(Part II)

The sharing of Jesus’ breakthrough with the Church.

John 21 verse 1-14: “After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas (also) called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee (namely James and John), and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat (namely fish, to eat)? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find (fish). They cast (out the net) therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved (namely John) saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits [1]); dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many (fish), yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.”
Seven of Jesus’ disciples were at the Sea (actually the lake) of Tiberias. Other names of this lake were “Lake of Kinneret” and “Sea of Galilee”. They were: Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael; the brothers James and John and two, not mentioned by name. At Peter’s suggestion they went fishing in the lake. However, it ended in failure, all night they did not catch anything…
In the morning Jesus appeared on the lake’s shore without revealing Himself to them at first. He asked the fishers for meat (for bread), for fish, but they had nothing for Him. Jesus asked His disciples for meat, for fish, which His disciples had and have to catch… He Himself was and is the Bread of Life (John 6:48), while His earthly servants form the meat, the fish, at the divine meal for those, who have repented unto Him (because His servants pass on the spiritual food, namely the spoken Word of the cross).
But without Jesus, without His co-operation, all spiritual labor is in vain, and at best “wood, hay and straw”, which cannot endure the test of the “Fire”, thus the (divine) trial (John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 3:12). His first disciples had to learn this too. This is why they did not catch anything that entire night; but at the direction (thus under guidance) of Jesus they again cast the net, now to the right side of the ship. Then they caught a large amount of fish; so much, that they (all) could not drag it on board. On land they saw Jesus at a coal-fire, with bread and fish over it. Jesus then asked them to pull the caught fish on land to roast some of it over the fire. They had caught 153 large fish.
The ciphers of the number 153 together form the number 9, which speaks of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, which must be in His service unto the establishment (the growth) of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).
This catch (of fish) is prophetic and symbolizes all the future work of His disciples throughout the ages, namely the sharing of Jesus’ breakthrough of redemption and life with the (human) world, initially lost in sin.

The granting of grace and the calling of Peter.

John 21 verse 15-25: “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest (go thyself): but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved (namely John) following; which also leaned on his breast (or: leaned over to Him) at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do (what shall happen to him)? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come (again), what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry (will live) till I come (back), what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain (all) the books that should be written. Amen.”
In the night of His capture, Peter had disowned the Lord three times (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; John 18:17-18 and 25-27); a fact, which has been recorded clearly by all four of the evangelists, and a fact Peter was very ashamed of, especially also before the other disciples.
This is why Jesus now turned to him personally to show him, that He had forgiven him this repudiation, and to point out that the other were not to blame him for this any longer. Therefore Peter had to openly say to Jesus three times, within hearing of the other disciples, “that he loved Him”. Thereupon Jesus said to him three times – after all, he had disowned Him three times – that He also commissioned him to shepherd and feed the Church.
Jesus also said to Peter, that he once, when he would have grown old, because of his labor for Jesus, like Jesus Himself would die a martyr’s death. Here-with he would prove to the world that he no longer feared people and death, which fear initially made him disown Jesus…
Peter then asked the Lord whether John would also suffer this, but the Lord rebuked Peter in this and said to him, that this was something that did not concern him. Yet Jesus told him, that He did not wish John to suffer this, and that he would die a natural death. Which also happened.

The chapters of the Gospel according to John seen in the light of the Israelitic Tabernacle.

Chapter 1             In the light of the Gate
Chapters 2-4        In the light of the Altar of Burnt Offering
Chapter 5             In the light of the Laver and the Door (to the Holy Place)
Chapters 6-7        In the light of the Table of Showbread
Chapter 8             In the light of the Candlestick
Chapter 9             In the light of the Altar of Incense
Chapters 10-11     In the light of the Veil
Chapter 12           In the light of the sevenfold sprinkling of blood before the Ark
Chapters 13-21     In the light of the Ark of the Covenant

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

The end

PDF of this complete study.

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[1] A cubit is an old linear measure, based on the length of the human underarm, about 69 cm per cubit; thus, in total they were only at a distance of some 138 metres from the land.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 20 – The breakthrough of and into the divine life (Part 1)

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book, explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle

The breakthrough of and into the divine life
(Part I)

Jesus was made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 3:14) and won the victory over the power of sin for us by His death, resurrection and ascension. Thus God established in Him the great, divine power, which gives us the breakthrough unto the divine (and thus eternal) life, by which He can share with us His victory. By the sacrifice of His own life, He finished in Himself an eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12), and an eternal, perfect life (Hebrews 10:14); things He wants to share with us, after His ascension, in and by the Holy Spirit, if we open our heart and life for Him, and are willing to yield to Him in faith.

John 20 verse 1: “The first day of the week (the day after the sabbath) cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”
On that first day of the (new) week the grave was empty. That day Mary Magdalene, and the other women, very early, “when it was yet dark”, had gone to the grave. Jesus was already risen then.
According to Scripture, Jesus, just as, at the time, Jonah in the fish’s belly, was to remain three days and three nights “in the heart of the earth“, thus in the realm of the dead (Matthew 12:40). The problem is, that for a day and a night (24 hours, from 00.00–24.00 hours) we begin with the day (the new day with us begins in the wee hours: 0, 1, 2 o’clock etc.), and end with the night (we speak after all of “day and night”); while in the Israelitic and also in the divine thinking “day and night” begins with the night and ends with the day (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).
Taking this into account Jesus must then have died on the cross on a Wednesday, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and not on “Good Friday”, as the Roman Catholic Church teaches us. The outline / schedule on this page will explain it better. After our calculation Jesus must then have risen on Saturday evening – when the Israelitic, new week already begins at 18.00 p.m. – hence Mary Magdalene found the grave already empty on Sunday, “when it was yet dark”.

The disciples began to believe in His resurrection

John 20 verse 2-10: “Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the line clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.”
Simon Peter and John went to the grave after that Mary Magdalene had told them about the empty grave.
Now you should know, that, before Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus laid Him in the grave, after the custom of the rich among the Jews (Isaiah 53:9), Jesus was wrapped in cloths with spices (John 19:40). Because of this the cloths became very hard quickly. When Peter and John went into the grave, they therefore found the cloths as an empty and hard casing, just as a cocoon, out of which the butterfly came. They therefore then believed in His resurrection (verse 8).
Although Jesus had told His disciples many times beforehand about His death and resurrection from the dead, this was not driven home to them until this moment (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:2 and 12; Mark 8:31; 9:31-32; 10:33-34; 14:8; Luke 9:21-22, 9:43-45; 18:31-33; 22:22; John 3:14; 10:17-18; 12:32-34).

The appearance unto Mary Magdalene

John 20 verse 11-18: “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.”
At first Mary Magdalene, accompanied by Mary, the mother of James, and by Salome, the mother of James and John (see Mark 16:1), and by Joanne, the wife of Chusas, Herodes’ steward (see Luke 24:10), had come to the grave to further anoint Jesus’ body.
Later, when she saw the empty grave, it showed that in her hurry Mary Magdalene had gone to the disciples, alone, to tell them of the missing body (verses 1-2); after which she came back to the grave after Peter and John. She cried there for this missing, dear body of Jesus.
After the appearance of the two angels, Jesus Himself appeared unto her to comfort and surprise her. Initially she thought he was the gardener of Joseph of Arimathaea. Until Jesus made Himself known to her…
Mary Magdalene then was not allowed to touch Him, something He did allow the other women to do; after they had gone to the disciples, after the appearance of the angels, to tell them of His resurrection (Matthew 28:9). He later also allowed Simon to touch Him (John 20:27). This might be, because the then still young Mary Magdalene saw Him as the man Jesus, Whom she loved. But after His ascension (verse 17) she would only be able to see Him as her God, her Lord and Savior. And as such she was allowed to touch Him, in the Spirit…

The appearance unto ten of His disciples

John 20 verse 19-20: “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.”
On the evening of the day His resurrection began to be known to the disciples, He appeared in a room closed to people outside. He entered the room right through the walls and closed doors. Despite the disclosure of His resurrection, the disciples were terribly frightened. They thought they saw a ghost (Luke 24:37). Later on they rejoiced greatly.
Jesus, at His resurrection, had a resurrection body. In 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 we read that such a body is:

• incorruptible,
• glorious,
• full of power, and
• spiritual.

We see here that such a (resurrection) body, because it is spiritual, can move right through matter. And in Luke 24:39-43 we read, that such a (resurrection) body can also materialize. After His resurrection, He had flesh and bones. He was able to eat food; He ate of their fish and honeycombs. Such a (resurrection) body can also move through the air (and, we think, with the speed of a thought). Therefore, in the future, at the last trump, we can meet the Lord in the air, because we, too, will already have resurrection bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

John 20 verse 21-23: “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are  retained.”
After He had reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart (Mark 16:14), He gave them His mission order for the whole world (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).
The same way Jesus was sent by the Father into this world – to the destruction of all of satan’s power (1 John 3:8) over man, and unto their salvation – so He sent His disciples to the ends of the earth. He is the Head and they, and all after them, were and are His Body (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:16; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 and 27). He transferred the authority He had here on earth to (eternal) salvation of man, unto His disciples, whereby they, in the same divine authority, were and are able to act against all hostile (satanic) forces! For this purpose He would send His Spirit to and in them. His words “receive the Holy Spirit” were as it were the seal/firm promise that this miracle was indeed to take place; which at that moment could not yet happen, because He had not yet ascended to heaven (John 7:39). This miracle was only to come over and in His disciples at Pentecost, ten days after His ascension.

Thomas

John 20 verse 24-31: “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have (eternal) life through his name.”
Thomas doubted the excited story of the ten other disciples, and therefore he was to enter the history of salvation – and also popularly it would be used – as “incredulous Thomas”.
However, all from the first Church, they who were around Jesus, intimately, in fact were doubters because they initially did not believe in Jesus’ resurrection. The woman, who visited the grave, looked for a dead Savior to finish the anointing of His body. None of the other disciples believed the women’s report (Mark 16:11 and 13-14; Luke 24:11), although, before His death, Jesus had clearly announced four times that He would be killed, and would rise (again) from the dead after three days and three nights.
Thomas only believed in Jesus’ resurrection, after He personally appeared to him. Jesus then linked up glory to the belief in Him and His finished work, on the Word of the preaching, without having seen Him.

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 19 – The 7 steps that lead to the actual shedding of the blood of God’s Lamb (Part II)

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

The 7 steps that lead to the actual shedding of the blood of God’s Lamb
(Part II)

See John, Chapter 18 for Part I

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5^th step:
The scourging / flogging of Jesus

John 19 verse 1-3: “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.”
Pilate did not find any fault in Jesus (see John 18:38b), yet he had Him flogged by the cruel/rough soldiers, because he feared the people. They beat open his back, and so He underwent for us physical pains, that we might be delivered from satan’s ravaging powers of sickness (Isaiah 53:5b; 1 Peter 2:24b). Mockingly they also put a crown of plaited sharp thorny branches on His holy head and further mocked Him by clothing Him in a purple robe. Purple, being the color of royal dignity. Falling on their knees, they said: “Hail, Thou King of the Jews!”, but they simultaneously punched Him in the face (verse 3).

John 19 verse 4-5: “Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!”
Pilate again brought Jesus before the people, also to move them to pity. Jesus wore the crown of thorns on His bloody head, and the mock-robe around His bruised back. Pilate said: Behold, the Man! In other words: See, He is innocent and has already suffered so much innocently. Don’t you have compassion on Him? Should I not rather release Him?

John 19 verse 6-7: “When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”
The high priests and the temple servants cried out “crucify Him, crucify Him”! In other words: “Kill Him, we do not want Him”, and the people echoed them in chorus! In his weakness, and at the same time because of his fear for the people, Pilate said: “You crucify Him then, for in my opinion He is innocent”. But they answered: “He has slandered God, for He has made Himself the Son of God”. This frightened Pilate even more. Was he standing before a divine Being?

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6^th step:
The death penalty (by crucifixion) of Pilate over Jesus

John 19 verse 8-16: “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from henceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Ceasar’s friend: (for) whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Ceasar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth (from the judgment hall), and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement (Greek: Lithostrotos), but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha [1]. And it was the preparation of the passover (feast), and about the sixth hour (i.e. 12.00 noon): and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify you King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away (to be crucified).”
Now Pilate wished to hear Jesus say that he actually was the Son of God. But Jesus kept quiet. Finally Jesus said to Pilate, that he only had the power to crucify Him (to have Him crucified), because he was given the power from above to do so. Hereby we know that neither the Jews, nor the Romans, but God Himself, had Him killed (Isaiah 53:10), in order to be able to forgive humanity their sins through this pure and holy sacrifice of God’s sinless Lamb. Pilate then all the more sought a reason to release Him. But the high priests then gave Pilate a convincing reason to pass to crucifixion: “Anyone, making himself king, rebels against the emperor; and by protecting such a person, one commits treason against the emperor”. When Pilate became aware of this, his decision was quickly made.

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7^th step:
Jesus’ crucifixion

John 19 verse 17: “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha (Latin: Calvary).”
Jesus had to bear (take up) His cross Himself, and go to the place of execution, namely to Golgotha. Jesus invites us to also take up our cross (voluntarily), and follow Him to Golgotha (for we must be willing to die to our old, sinful nature) (Luke 9:21-25). Jesus did this voluntarily, for us (John 12:23-27): that He, by the shedding of His atoning blood, might destroy all works of the devil (viz. sin, sickness and death) (1 John 3:8). By our faith in Him, and our being planted together with the dying of this Lamb of God, we will share the complete work of grace of His death and resurrection for us (Romans 6:5), unto the complete deliverance of our old, sinful nature and unto the resurrection in the new, divine life with Him (Romans 6:3-4).

John 19 verse 18-30: “…Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the ross. And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his oat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout (in one piece). They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved (namely John), he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple (John), Behold thy mother!, And from that hour that disciple (John) took her into his own home. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar (i.e. wine, sour as vinegar): and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and (He) gave up the ghost.”
What took place on the cross, lasted from the third hour (i.e. 9 o’clock in the morning) unto the ninth hour (i.e. 3 o’clock in the afternoon). Six long hours the Lord Jesus hung on the cross (Mark 15:25; Matthew 27:46). In the sixth hour (i.e. at noon) darkness came over all the earth (Matthew 27:45). Thus the whole earth shared this process on the cross, this dying of Jesus, God’s Son! During the first three hours there was (still) light. The Lord Jesus could then, if He so willed, still come off the cross, by divine intervention (Matthew 26:53). During these three hours Jesus spoke the three so-called “words of the cross”, which all served the mercy of others.

1^st word of the cross (Luke 23:34):

• Jesus asked His heavenly Father to forgive the Jewish people and their leaders, because they did not know what they were doing.

2^nd word of the cross (Luke 23:43):

• Jesus promised the “good” murderer that he would enter eternal life and paradise.

3^rd word of the cross (John 19:37):

• Jesus comforted His mother Mary by giving her John to take care of her, in His place.

Then came the darkness. From that moment on, the substituting death of Jesus, as Savior of the world, was irrevocable! The person who believes in this, and who has claimed this divine promise for him-/herself, is declared free, and is given grace (viz. eternal life). Jesus would completely pay off the debt of (the power of) sin by paying for it with the (voluntary) sacrifice of His life. For this purpose He was also “made sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The words of the cross, spoken hereafter, related to Himself and His situation.

4^th word of the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34):

• Jesus voiced His sorrow, when the Father, the Source of all righteousness, had to abandon Him.

5^th word of the cross (John 19:23):

• Jesus said that He was thirsty. Did He thirst (i.e. long) for common water, or for the Living Water (type of the Holy Spirit), which He now lacked; or did He thirst (i.e. did He, in the spirit, long) for the souls He would redeem by His death on the cross?

6^th word of the cross (John 19:30):

• Jesus here assures us that the redemption of and for humanity had been, and is, completely finished, because He paid for it with His own life (Isaiah 53:4-6). Each repentant sinner, from now on, could be assured of the reconciliation with God, if, in faith, he/she would see to (Jesus’ finished work on) Calvary.

7^th word of the cross (Luke 23:46):

• With a loud voice, Jesus gave His Spirit into the hands of His Father, that His Father might do with it according to His holy plan.

During those mysterious three days and three nights, the Spirit of Jesus would descend into the realm of the dead (Matthew 12:40; Acts 2:24 and 27) to pay the price for the sin of man. Then, having paid (with His own life), He would destroy all dark powers of the sin of man in His own Being by having them shared with His death; by first having his sins revealed to the sinner to convict him of sin (Colossians 2:15). There in the darkness of the realm of the dead, a new divine light dawned after three days and three nights, namely the new, newly born of God, life of God’s Son (Acts 13:30-39; John 10:17-38). This would, most certainly, have caused great upheaval in the realm of the dark. This light grew ever brighter, until Jesus raised Himself as a Conqueror, in the full Shape of His redee-mership, there in the depths of Hades (i.e. the realm of the dead). He then went to the satan’s stronghold and his throne. There He snatched the keys of death and hell, which kept the sinner captive in satan’s prison, from him (satan) (Luke 11:21-22; Revelation 1:18); in order to leave them with His (own) (Matthew 16:19). From that time on satan no longer is the king, the prince, the sovereign of this world, although he is now still “squatting” in this world. Thus Jesus “took captivity captive” (by which is meant that He can now open the prison wherein sinners are kept in satan’s power, if they repent unto God; hence they are also keys that give entry into God’s Kingdom) (Ephesians 4:8). And, at His resurrection, He took with Him to the Paradise of the Forecourt, near the throne of God (where from that moment on all the dead go after their death), all those who were in the realm of the dead and had waited, in faith, for the salvation (by the Messiah promised by God).
Many bodies of saints, who had already died, were raised at that divine event (the so-called “introductory resurrection”; see Matthew 27:52-53). And this to the honor and glory of God. But not equal to Jesus’ resurrection, Who after his death on the cross, received a resurrection body (1 Corinthians 5:42-44), for they (the saints) still had a mortal body. Jesus thus also “took captive the “prison” of man(‘s sin) to, if man had repented, set him/her free from sin.

Jesus’ death and burial

John 19 verse 31-37: “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken (that they might die sooner), and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.”
Jesus’ bones did not have to be broken (Exodus 12:14b; Numbers 9:12), because He was already dead. After he piercing of His side, it was found that His blood had already broken down to “water and blood”. This was convincing proof of His death.

John 19 verse 38-42: “And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus there-fore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.”
It was only after Jesus’ death that Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus dared to openly show their faith in Jesus being the Messiah. The took Jesus off the cross, and wrapped His body in linen cloths, which had been soaked in spices, and laid Him in the sepulchre, which Joseph initially had cut out for himself (Matthew 27:57-60).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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[1] From the Biblical Encyclopedia: The judgment seat, thus the chair/seat of the judge, stood on a (possibly tiled) platform, outside, before the courthouse. Lithostrótos is Greek for paved, and Gabbetha means platform, height.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 18 – The 7 steps that lead to the actual shedding of the blood of God’s Lamb (Part I)

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

The 7 steps that lead to the actual shedding of the blood of God’s Lamb
(Part I)

The next two chapters (18 and 19) of the Gospel according to John show us the seven steps in the life of Jesus, the divine Lamb, that led to the actual shedding of His blood, His death on the cross. This merciful payment of man’s debt of sin was already met in the divine plan, which was already established in God’s heart before the foundation of man’s world (1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 13:8b).
For immediately after the fall, God already gave the fallen, first human couple the so-called “mother promise” (Genesis 3:15). The Seed of the woman – namely Jesus Christ and all the (spiritual) sons and daughters of God with Him, as His Body – would bruise the head of the sin-serpent; and the seed of the “serpent”, namely the children of the evil one, they who obey satan, would bruise Its (the seed of the woman’s) (the sinews of the) heel; that is: they were allowed to hamper God’s children in their labor for Him.
At the crossing point of the ages, the actual pay-off of the sin-debt took place on Golgotha. The sin offering (namely the sacrifice for our sins), by the divine justice, was demanded of God’s pure and holy Lamb. Hereto Jesus, as the Lamb of God, came into the world (John 12:23-27). Hereby Jesus, as the Lamb of God, would break, demolish all the works of the devil – most especially the works he wrought (i.e. worked out) in man, in spirit, soul and body (1 John 3:8b); and so “obtained eternal redemption” for man (Hebrews 9:11-12). Hereby anyone, who comes to Him in faith, and who devotes him-/herself to Him, could be granted by His Spirit (Titus 2:11; 3:4-7):

1. reconciliation with God (Romans 3:25; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 1:20; 1 John 2:2; 4:10);
2. forgiveness of sins (Romans 3:25; 1 John 1:9a);
3. deliverance from sins (Romans 3:24; 1 John 1:9b; Hebrews 9:12);
4. the divine nature; a new (divine, Christ-) life (John 10:10b; Romans 3:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18a and 21; Hebrews 10:14; 2 Peter 1:4);
5. divine power and authority (Ephesians 6:10-11);
6. fullness/perfection in Christ (Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:28);

as sanctifying grace, based on His Word; that man will thus receive his/her inheritance (Romans 8:17), in order to live as a son of God (Romans 8:29), and to serve Him as priest-king (1 Peter 2:9) in God’s eternal Kingdom (Revelation 21) for all eternity, glorified in Him in God’s heavens.

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1^st step:
Prayer to the Father and the apprehension in the Garden of Gethsemane

John 18 verse 1-11: “When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus oftentimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto then, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”
In the Garden Jesus underwent a tremendous battle in prayer, (and was) full of stress, whereby His blood mixed with His perspiration when the inner battle (see Luke 12:50) came to a head. Here Jesus experienced the reality of His “being made sin for man” (2 Corinthians 5:21), with behind it the sneering power of sin, which formed (and still forms) the necessity to “be made sin for man” (John 3:14); if He wanted to deliver this person from sin and to (be able to) make him/her the righteous of God.
Fortunately for mankind Jesus resigned Himself to His Father’s will, which, as we know, was established before the foundation of the world. And, when Jesus had fought His (spiritual) battle, the peace and determination returned to His heart. Jesus also rendered a last act of love towards those who captured Him, in order to cause them to repent and to believe. He showed them His authority in the Holy Spirit by causing them all to fall backwards. He also healed the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant, after Peter had cut off that ear (Luke 22:50-51).

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2^nd step:
Jesus led before the high priest of Israel

John 18 verse 12-16: “Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.”
Jesus was first taken to Annas, the father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, and thereafter to the high priest himself. John was an acquaintance of the high priest. With Peter he followed the bringing forward of Jesus. When Jesus was led before Caiaphas these two disciples, therefore, were close to this event. And because of John Peter also was allowed to enter Caiaphas’ house.

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3^rd step:
Peter’s repudiation; Jesus accused by Caiaphas

John 18 verse 17-27: “Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself (at the coal fire). They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not. One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.”
Peter was there, in the yard, among the high priest’s servants, and warmed himself around a fire, with them. The slave-girl, who was a doorkeeper, later asked Peter, whether he, too, was a disciple of Jesus’. He denied this! Hereafter some people around the fire asked Peter twice, whether he was a disciple of Jesus’. Again Peter was driven by fear, and he denied this, three times in total. After his last disownment the rooster crowed in that approaching dawn. Hereby Peter condemned himself. This happened according to the prophecy of Jesus (John 13:38).
In the high priest’s council chamber the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. Here Jesus was also struck in the face by one of the high priest’s servants. Here Jesus finally/eventually testified that He was the Son of God, the Messiah, the divine King, Who would sit at the right hand of the Father, and Who will return on the clouds of heaven. Caiaphas then tore his clothes and accused Jesus of sacrilege and said, that, because of this (alleged) sacrilege, He was found guilty and was (sentenced) to die. Then Caiaphas’ servants spat Jesus in the face, and beat Him with their fists (Matthew 26:63-67).

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4^th step:
Jesus before Pilate

John 18 verse 28-40: “Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my ser-vants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one (prisoner) at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.”
Because the chief priests had no right to kill someone, the next day they took Jesus to Pilate, and accused Him: that He called Himself King of the Jews, and by doing so rebelled against the only, lawful ruler in those days: the emperor of Rome.
Pilate, however, also because of his wife’s dream (Matthew 27:19), was convinced that Jesus was innocent. Therefore he wanted to release Him through a custom of pardoning a convict on the day of the Passover feast. He therefore made the people choose to have either Jesus or Barabbas released, who had committed a murder in his revolt against the state. The people then chose to have Barabbas released…
And that, while Jesus is the Son of God the Father, Who is in heaven, while Barabbas means “son of the father”. Barabbas was a murderer and troublemaker, and his actions show us of which father he was a son, namely of “the father beneath”, which is the devil. The people chose this son of the devil over the Son of God; the troublemaker and murderer they chose over the Savior, while He had performed nothing but acts of love among them!

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 17 – Unity with the Father

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

Unity with the Father

Just like Jesus, the eternal Son, we may be united with the heavenly Father, and stand in the same relationship to the Father as Jesus does (Romans 8:15-16), because we, by (faith in and devotion to) Jesus, are born of God (John 1:12-13). Because of this we may “inherit God” (or: we will receive the qualities of God, by inheritance) (Romans 8:17), just like Jesus possesses Him (Colossians 2:9), Who is the Source of divine righteousness, holiness, and love. He comes to dwell in and with us (John 14:23; Revelation 21:3), after that we have been sanctified by His works of Word and Spirit, when our old nature has been truly washed away in His blood, and thus is dead (1 Peter 2:24).
In John 14:15-23 we find the increase (i.e. spiritual growth) to fullness of the submersion in God. If we love Jesus and keep His Word (i.e. obey His Word, and patiently and in faith wait for His promises), God’s Holy Spirit will first come to us (John 14:16-17) to share with us the works of Jesus, obtained for us by His death and resurrection. So we are washed clean of our old nature in Jesus’ blood; and Jesus, God’s Son, will be revealed to and in us (John 14:21). And when the revelation of the Son has come to (spiritual) fullness by the renewing works of the Spirit and the Word (Titus 3:5), the Father Himself will come and dwell with and in us (John 14:23).

John 17 verse 1-2: “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”
So the Father glorifies His sons (whereby again is noted that spiritually mature/perfect daughters, spiritually seen, also are/will be sons of God), and He will make them known to the world – while still on earth (Romans 8:19; 1 Timothy 3:16); that they might bring the world unto Christ to the honor and glory of God, our Father (Isaiah 60:1-3; Habakkuk 2:20; Obadiah v. 21).

John 17 verse 3: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
We obtain the sharing in the eternal, divine life, the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), because our heart is in unity with God and with Jesus Christ, because we know Him so intimately, and believe in Him and in His finished work (on the cross of Golgotha).

John 17 verse 4-8: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the works which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.”
To glorify God on earth is to declare Him to the world – by His revelation through us – that they, too, may share the sanctifying works of mercy of His Spirit (Titus 2:11; 3:4-7) by proclaiming His will and promises, His Gospel, to the world in the power of the Holy Spirit (verses 7-8).

Jesus’ High Priestly prayer to the Father for us

John 17 verse 9-10: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.”
Jesus prays to the Father for all the children of God (Hebrews 7:25). What did and does Jesus pray? What do we also have to pray to the Father in His Name?

John 17 verse 11-12: “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”

1. For our keeping in the Name of God, that we may be one as the Son lives in one united being with the Father.

John 17 verse 13: “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”

2. That we may be full of God’s joy.

John 17 verse 14-16: “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

3. That we may be kept (safe) from the hatred of the evil one and of the world, because we are still in this world.

John 17 verse 17-19: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”

4. That we may be sanctified in and by God’s Word, so that we may fulfill our mission in this world.

John 17 verse 20-22: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:…”

5. For the unity of all God’s children by their complete submersion in His Spirit and glory (1 Corinthians 12:13), in the fullness of God (Isaiah 60:1-3).

John 17 verse 23: “…I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

6. For the perfection of all God’s sons (and daughters) in Him, that God’s plan and will are made known, through us (Romans 8:19-21).

John 17 verse 24: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

7. That we may share and behold (see) Jesus’ full heavenly glory (1 Timothy 3:16).

John 17 verse 25-26: “O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

8. That God’s (perfect) love be in us by our faith in Him, and by the revelation of God’s Name to and in us, and by our unity with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Seen in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle, this chapter is symbolized by the two tables of the Law, which in their turn symbolize the Father-God as the Source, the Fountain, of all righteousness, which we may bear in us already here on earth (John 4:14b).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 16 – Being in communion / touch with the living Word brings justice, peace and joy to the whole world

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

Being in communion / touch with the living Word brings justice, peace and joy to the whole world

What communion with Jesus, the living Word, brings us

John 16 verse 1-4: See the end of Chapter 15.

1. Jesus, God’s living Word, returns to us by the Holy Spirit.
John 16 verse 5-7: “But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not (can) come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
John 16 verse 16-20: “A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see  me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
Jesus, the living Word of God, would return unto His disciples in and by the Holy Spirit (John 14:18-20), to come and dwell in them in order to be able to, from heaven, work on earth as God’s High Priest to share the finished work (on the cross of Calvary) with all who (sincerely) repented unto God, and submitted themselves to Him (completely). Thus working through the Christians in and by the Holy Spirit He would be able to do this worldwide. As the Son of man on earth He could only do it within human limits, but now through the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:20; Revelation 5:6).

2. Through the Holy Spirit He will then convict us of our sins.
John 16 verse 8-9: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me;”
God’s living Word, proclaimed in and by the Holy Spirit through His disciples, will, first of all, convict the world, namely sinful man, of sin as the whole world is evil (i.e. is in the power of satan) (1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:1-5). The Lord does not convict us of sin to judge or condemn us (John 8:11 and 15), but to open our (spiritual) eyes for our lost state (deserving damnation) (Revelation 3:18), that we might repent unto Him and He might heal us (namely deliver us from our sinful, and thus lost, state).

3. God’s living Word, God’s righteousness, is then written on the table of our purified heart, and in our renewed thinking (Hebrews 10:16-17; Romans 12:12).
John 16 verse 10: “…Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more…”
The Christ-life, namely God’s love, is then poured out into our hearts (Romans 5:5). We then receive part of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) which will develop within us (2 Corinthians 4:16); the Christ-nature then takes shape in us (Galatians 4:19). And the world will be convicted of God’s righteous-ness, as this will be revealed (i.e. visible) in and by the sanctified person. The Lord will be able to work this in us, because He has then risen from death and sin, has won the victory for us (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:8). Then we shall spread God’s light and life already in this world (Matthew 5:13-14). Then, together with the eternal Son, we will have become images and revealers of the Father’s being righteous, merciful and holy (Ephesians 4:24). Then, together with the Son, we will spread the Father’s virtues (1 Peter 2:9). Then the fruit of the Spirit will grow in us unto full maturity (Galatians 5:22).

4. The living Word convinces the world of judgment, because the evil one was condemned by Jesus’ death on the cross, and therefore all who choose to remain with satan will be condemned with him (i.e. satan)!
John 16 verse 11: “…Of judgment, because the prince of this world (namely satan) is judged.”
The space of time (period) of God’s mercy has its limits, and draws to an end (Genesis 6:3; Luke 13:24-25; Revelation 10:6). Then follows God’s judgment over satan and his hordes, and over all people who continued to follow satan (Matthew 25:41).

5. The Holy Spirit leads us in all truth (John 17:17), in and by the living Word of God.
John 16 verse 12-13a: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth;…”
God’s Spirit leads us completely into God’s plan, in His perfect will, for us (Genesis 1:26; Romans 12:2). Then He will have changed, renewed, the entire person’s spirit, soul and finally also his/her body – namely by the resurrection from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:17-18a; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Philippians 3:21; Revelation 21:5).

6. The Holy Spirit will also proclaim to us future and eternal things.
John 16 verse 13b: “…for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
God’s Spirit also gives us the prophetic word, and gives us insight and knowledge thereof, for He tells His friends what He will do (Genesis 18:17; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

7. The Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus (through us), and not speak of Himself.
John 16 verse 14-15: “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus, because Jesus has finished everything for us, and because He, after His resurrection and ascension, was given unto us by the Father for our personal Redeemer and Sanctifier (Matthew 11:28-30; Acts 4:12; 5:31; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Revelation 19:10b).

John 16 verse 16-20: Already discussed at the beginning of chapter 16.

John 16 verse 21-22: “A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”

8. This unity, this becoming one with the living Word by the Holy Spirit, makes us to be born again of God (see John 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 1:35).
We then experience the joy of this rebirth of God (Galatians 5:22), and the testimony of His Spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
John 16 verse 23-28: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: (but) again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

9. This unity with the living Word assures us also of answers to prayers (John 15:7 and 16), because His will fills us (see Philippians 2:13).
John 16 verse 29-33: “His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 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.”

10. This unity with the living Word brings us peace with God despite the oppressions by satan and the world (see Romans 5:1; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 4:7).
In the light of the Israelitic tabernacle, this chapter is symbolized by the gold cruse of manna – type of the true heavenly Bread, namely Jesus’ presence – in the Ark of the Covenant (Hebrews 9:3-4). The cruse/vessel itself typifies our being, which bears the heavenly treasure within his/her vessel (2 Corinthians 4:7). Here the “earthen” vessel, by God’s (inter)action, has been changed into the gold of heaven.

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 15 – Unity with God’s Spirit results in a flourishing ministry

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

Unity with God’s Spirit results
in a flourishing ministry

Seen in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle, this chapter is typified by the budding rod of Aaron (Numbers 17:1-11). The priest’s staff (type of the priestly ministry), thus the anointing of the person whom God has called unto a certain task, will flourish in this ministry, and bear fruit. This is God’s testimony that He has appointed His servant. In this respect there is for God’s servant a visible and an invisible blessing on his labor, a blessing he sees here on earth, and a blessing he will only see in eternity.
The “budding rod of Aaron” could be likened to the flowering branch. It grows and flowers and bears fruit, because it remains in the Vine; because it shares the life-giving sap of the heavenly Vine, and because God, the heavenly Husbandman, has given it His strength to bear fruit abundantly and permanently (verse 16).

John 15 verse 1-5: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; He/she that abideth in me, and I in him/her, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, from the beginning was the only Revelation of the Godhead, and His creative Being, the Only One, Who propagated God’s blessing in the power of the Holy Spirit. However, it pleased God to cause more sons to be born, that the eternal Son might be “the Firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29) and these sons (mentioning again that also spiritually mature/ perfect daughters, spiritually seen, are/will be God’s sons) He would draw from fallen humanity (Romans 8:19-21), after He would have reconciled the sin of man in Himself. This eternal plan God already had at the creation of man (Genesis 1:26).
In this revelation (i.e. in this spiritual body) of the Godhead, the eternal Son would limit Himself to being the Head of God’s body; thus the Son is the Head (and therewith the Chief [in command] /Principal) of the church members. The newly acquired sons would then, as members of the remnant of that body, function in and by the power of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 2:12 and 27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:12-16; 5:23).
Our natural body at all times is subject to and dependent on the initiative and the management of the head where the central nervous system is located. So it is with the spiritual Body, namely the Church: it is subjected to and dependent on the initiative and the management of her Head, Jesus Christ. In above image of the heavenly Vine He would limit Himself to being the Vine, that we could be the branches thereof. A vine is nothing without its branches, just as the head would be nothing without the body; but the branches wither without the vine and the body dies if it loses its head! “Without Me”, Jesus said, “you can do nothing”.  The one who prepares all this is the Spirit of God, indicated here by the heavenly Husbandman, Who cleanses the branches by His spoken Word.
Hence the branches are the type for sonship which the Lord Jesus, the heavenly Vine, causes to grow within us by giving us His life-giving sap (Romans 8:29-30; Galatians 1:15-16; 4:19; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11). This sonship will only grow within us if we are and remain in Christ; if we remain in a profound relationship with Jesus Christ, the heavenly Vine. It has also been established by God, that we, just as the branches, will flower and bear much fruit; which means that we, Christians, are called to bring many out of the world unto Christ.

John 15 verse 6: “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Should such a newly acquired son of God not live and work in close dependency on the eternal Son, because an independent spirit has come over him/her, then this sonship will wither in that called person, and he/she will be cast in the fire of condemnation, together with the sinners. But if such a newly acquired son of God does remain in the eternal Son, and in the power of the Spirit of God, then he/she will be characterized by seven signs.

Seven characteristics of a true branch of the Vine.

1^st sign: Answers to prayers
John 15 verse 7: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
If we are, and remain, truly in Him, then our inner desire will be in accordance with the will of the eternal Son. He/she then prays to the Father in the Name of (thus on behalf of) Jesus (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24 and 26-27; Philippians 2:13; James 5:16).

2^nd sign: Discipleship.
John 15 verse 8: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”
A “disciple” is a follower. We follow Jesus in His death on the cross (by dying just like He did, but then to our old, sinful life – see Luke 9:23) and resurrection, and in His labor for His Kingdom (Revelation 14:4c). The “fruit-bearing” as a characteristic is discussed at the seventh sign.

3^rd sign: God’s Love-nature is poured out.
John 15 verse 9-10: “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep (and obey) my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”
This divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), this “being like God” (John 3:2), is being poured into us (Romans 5:5); built in (Ephesians 4:23-24), rained in (Hosea 10:12). This (divine) nature remains in us and grows in us, if we continue to walk in agreement with God’s eternal Word, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14); in agreement with the heavenly law of the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:1-2), Who will then live and work in us (Philippians 2:13).

4^th sign: Divine joy.
John 15 verse 11: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
A lasting joy fills them (Romans 14:17), because, in the spirit, they continue to remain before the face of God and of His eternal Son (Psalm 16:11; Matthew 18:10; 1 Peter 1:8; Hebrews 1:9).

5^th sign: Brotherly love.
John 15 verse 12-13: “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Sincere brotherly (or: sisterly) love for each other characterizes this newly acquired sons of God. They deem the revelation of Christ in the other of higher value than their own (Romans 12:10; Ephesians 5:21; Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5). Thus, there is no envy whatsoever. This shared brotherly love characterizes the true disciple of Jesus Christ (John 13:34-35).

6^th sign: Obedience as a friend of Jesus’.
John 15 verse 14-15: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
Friends of Jesus’ know and recognize His inner voice and obey Him at all times. Jesus reveals then unto us what He is going to do through the Holy Spirit (Genesis 18:17; James 2:23; John 16:13).

7^th sign: A rich, eternal fruit-bearing.
John 15 verse 16-17: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.”
Such Christians are chosen to go out into the world to, in the power of the Holy Spirit, bear fruit (namely save souls) in the world unto the forming of the Church, the Body of Christ. It is not our plan and desire to bear (much) fruit, but it is His plan and predetermination to use us in this way! In the (local) church, therefore, there should be brotherly love.

A result of this unity with God is hatred of satan and of the world!
John 15 verse 18-25: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”
However, we should not hate the evil person, but – by the new nature of Jesus – rather love and bless him/her (Matthew 5:3 and 8-48), because He loves them and seeks to save them (John 3:16). But we should resist the power of the evil one (namely satan) (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 4:27; 6:12), bind it and condemn it (Isaiah 54:17).

We in no way have to fear that hatred, for the Comforter, God’s almighty Spirit, is with us.
John 15 verse 26-27: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.”
In the midst of the pressure and resistance from satan and people, let us go forward bravely in the spirit of the victor (Joshua 1:69; 2 Corinthians 2:14), and continue to proclaim in the world our testimony of Jesus’ victory over satan, for the Almighty and Conqueror is, and remains, with us (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 8:31; Hebrews 13:5b; 1 John 4:4).

One also finds this hatred in the false church.
John 16 verse 1-4: “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.”
Leaders of (especially the established) churches, but also leaders of churches which do not know and experience Jesus Himself and God’s Spirit personally, will ban (chase away) sincere (spirit-filled) Christians from the church or congregation. There also are (to be) (church)leaders that will torture unto death sincere Christians (Revelation 17:1-6).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 14 – Participation in the Nature of God by His excellent grace (Part II)

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

Participation in the Nature of God by His excellent grace

(Part II)

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JOHN, Chapter 13 – Participation in the Nature of God by His excellent grace (Part I)

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John 14 verse 1-2: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
On our way to the perfect unity with God many stages/phases of the development of being in Christ are known. It is expressed here by the “many mansions”, which are in the Father’s house (compare also Ezekiel 47:1-5).
The Lord comforts us herewith and warns not to be envious (of each other), if a brother or sister, spiritually seen, is in a more wonderful phase than we are (Psalm 68:17, literal translation), for He wants to bring all of us “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Rather let us all rejoice that we are all on the (spiritual) Road to this perfect unity with and in our God (Hebrews 12:22-24).

John 14 verse 3: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
When the moment of our earthly dying (in Christ) has come, then Jesus will come and get us to further lead us into that House of the Father with its many mansions (2 Corinthians 5:1-4), and there we will grow further in Him until we will have achieved the eternal fullness/perfection in Christ (Revelation 22:2 and 14).

John 14 verse 4-6: “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Jesus will bring us unto the above-mentioned glory, unto that being (the dwelling) in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 a and Hebrews 6:3). He is for us the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30), Who will lead us to the Father in heaven.

John 14 verse 7-11: “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.”
There is a deep / profound unity in being and labor between the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (John 5:19-23; 1 John 5:7). Hence they are NOT three Persons, but they are one Person, one Being with three revelation forms, three parts of the same God (Deuteronomy 6:4).

John 14 verse 12-14: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”
So, we shall, being (perfectly) in Christ, do the works of Christ (John 6:28; Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 2:10), and our intercessions made in the Name of Jesus, and we being members of the Body of Christ, be answered.

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4.
Members of the Body of Christ are clothed and submerged in the Power and Strength of the Holy Spirit.

John 14 verse 15-17: “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
All, who have sincerely adopted Jesus as their Redeemer and Savior (John 1:12), and who love Him with all their heart (Romans 8:28), will receive the Holy Spirit, also named the Comforter or Paraclete – if they keep His commandments (His Word), namely Himself (Who is the living Word); and let His works of death and resurrection grow (work out) in themselves. (Paraclete is a Greek word which means admonisher, advocate, mediator/ intercessor, and also comforter). If we remain faithful to Him, this Holy Spirit will remain our gift for all eternity. He will then stay with us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5b), overshadowing us just as with Mary (Luke 1:35); pouring out the Christ-nature into us; and He will and shall even come and dwell in us Himself, submerging us in Himself (1 Corinthians 12:13; Matthew 3), and thus clothing us with the strength of God’s might (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 6:10); that we, by Him (i.e. the Holy Spirit) might do wonders and signs in Jesus’ Name, and also in Jesus’ Name bind satan and his hordes, and condemn them; to so free the way for God’s children (1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Obadiah verse 21, literal translation).

John 14 verse 18-20: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”
This return of Jesus’, after His resurrection and ascension, will be in and by the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:6-8; 2 Corinthians 3:17); just as was the case when Jesus promised the murderer on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise (Luke 23:43); while Jesus Himself still was in the depths of Hades (i.e. the realm of the dead) (for three days and three nights) (Matthew 12:40; Acts 2:24-27).

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5.
Members of the Body of Christ will more and more share the same nature as Christ’s (2 Corinthians 3:18)

John 14 verse 21-22: “He/she that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he/she it is that loveth me: and he/she that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him/her, and will manifest myself to him/her. Judas (also called Thaddeus, James’ brother) saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?”
The Christ-nature will also reveal itself unto them and in them (John 14:21; Romans 5:5; Galatians 1:15-16; 4:19; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11; 2 Peter 1:4).

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6.
Members of the Body of Christ at last will form a dwelling place (namely a spiritual temple) of the Father and the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:22)

John 14 verse 23: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he/she will keep my words: and my Father will love him/her, and we will come unto him/her, and make our abode with him/her.”
They will be changed until the full righteousness of God dwells in them, whereby they will be true images of God, just like the eternal Son (Genesis 1:26; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 4:24). Hereby the, for us, initially unapproachable God and Father (1 Timothy 6:16) has been made approachable for us; because of which we may live in the fullness of God, and the fullness of God may dwell in us (John 17:24; Revelation 21; Hebrews 12: 22-24; Ephesians 3:19).

John 14 verse 24-26: “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
It is God’s Spirit, Who is also the Spirit of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:48; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18), Who leads us to all truth and righteousness (John 16:13; Romans 8:14; Hebrews 12:2).

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7.
Members of the Body of Christ taste God’s peace

John 14 verse 27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (or: anxious).”
They are also bringers of peace (or: peace-sharers); see Matthew 5:9; 10:12-13; Hebrews 4:3a).

John 14 verse 28-31: “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.”
Again, Jesus’ death on the cross, and His dying were (and are) necessary in order to give us this glory in Him, and Jesus was determined to fulfill this will of love of the Father towards us (Hebrews 10:5-10).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 13 – Participation in the Nature of God by His excellent grace (Part I)

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

Participation in the Nature of God by His excellent grace

(Part I)

Their 7 distinguising marks

The chapters 13 and 14 of John tell us that we are called unto an intense union with our almighty, holy God! This is a divine plan, which already existed before the foundation of the world (Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 1:3-6; Revelation 21:3-7).
Seen in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle, this perfect union is being expressed by the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:10-22; Hebrews 9:3-5). This covenant chest, made of shittim or acacia wood covered with leafgold, typifies the perfect (Bride-)Church. Inwardly she is united with God in His threefold revelation forms, depicted by:

• tables of the two Law (type of the Father);
• the bowl of manna (type of the Son);
• Aaron’s budding staff (type of the Holy Spirit).

But also outwardly she is in a profound (marriage) union with our God. With the Ark of the Covenant this was expressed by:

• the gold mercy seat (type of the Son);
• the two cherubs of pure gold (type of the Father and the Holy Spirit).

This mercy-seat with over it the two cherubs had to be made of one lump of gold. The goldsmith had to forge this entirely in the form desired by God. Through this symbolism the fact is being expressed that our God is one Being, one Person, one Lord, and thus NOT a trinity (not three divine persons, together forming a spiritual unity) as is taught by many. In Deuteronomy 6:4 it is literally written: “Hear, O Israel, YaHWeH is our God, YaHWeH is One (Person)“.
In order to be equal to Him the Christ-nature must be poured into (planted in) us (1 John 3:2; Romans 5:5; 8:29; Philippians 3:20-21; 2 Peter 1:4), that we, together with the Son, might be images of God for all eternity (Genesis 1:26; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 2:9). Romans 8:17 and Genesis 15:1 also speak of this union with and in God.

1.
As His images we must share His loving care and meekness

John 13 verse 1-17: “Now before the feast of passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
The Church, as the (spiritual) Body of Christ, must share the same loving care for each other, which lived and lives in Jesus too. She must also share the same meekness He had; Who, being Master and Lord, humbled Himself and washed His disciples’ feet. Therefore we, too, no matter what wonderful calling we may have in the Body of Christ, should never consider ourselves higher than any other in that Body (Philippians 2:3), but must submit ourselves unto each other in the (holy) fear of God (Matthew 11:29; Luke 17:10; Ephesians 5:21).
Jesus was their Master and Lord, yet towards His disciples He showed the shape of a servant (1 Peter 5:1-3). Hence true leadership in the Church is also a serving leadership, which means that one is willing to serve the other(s), and care for them unto the (spiritual) maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4:12-16).
On the other hand we also should be willing to gratefully undergo/accept this being served by the other, that we, in ever increasing measure, may share Christ and, through Christ, God!
Not all in the (earthly) churches belong to Christ.

John 13 verse 18-30: “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom (or: sitting close to Him) one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus’ breast (or: leaning over to Jesus) saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop (i.e. a piece of bread), when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.”
Already in the first group of future fellow-laborers there was a Judas Iscariot, who would betray Jesus… So also in the “model-church” of Philadelphia “synagogues of satan” were found in the midst of the true believers (Revelation 3:9). And so also, in the last days, many “Christians”, often without realizing it themselves, will have been influenced by satan, and will come to false (satanic) “Pentecost experiences”, to a (satanic) imitation of the Holy Spirit. These are people who receive their charisma from hell (Matthew 7:13-23; 24:5, 11 and 23-26; 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9).
Personally I, in a night vision (i.e. dream, vision), saw the following: I saw a cheering and singing group of people rise up and all disappear in a gaping tiger’s mouth!
The “Pentecost experience” (the experience of the infilling with the Holy Spirit) borders on spiritualism! For we, too, who are (really) filled with the Holy Spirit, have contact with the “paranormal/super-natural”, but we have this contact with (and seek it with) Jesus Christ, our risen Savior (1 Corinthians 2:2), and His Holy Spirit, Which He sent to us (John 14:15-17; Revelation 5:6).
If we move into the “paranormal/supernatural” without Jesus – Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (unto the Father) (John 14:6) – we make contact (and will have contact) with the lie and death, with the satanic world of spiritualism; even if they seem to be “angels of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15; Deuteronomy 8:9-14).

2.
True discipleship is characterized by divine brotherly and sisterly love

John 13 verse 31-35: “Therefore when he (Judas) was gone out (from them), Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say (it) to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye (so) also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Jesus (through the offer of His life on the cross of Golgotha) fulfilled the will of God unto the salvation of humanity from satan’s power. Thus He shall bring all, who (sincerely) are willing, in the righteous-ness of God. He did, and does, this driven (motivated) by the love of God in Him (Hebrews 10:5-10; Psalm 40:7-11). And, because this love of God towards humanity was expressed through Him (John 3:16), the Father was glorified in Him (verse 31). Hence the Father would also glorify Jesus soon, by making Him to return unto and in Him (John 16:28; 17:4-5; 1 Corinthians 15:28).
We, too, will glorify God already here on earth, if we reveal His divine nature and love (2 Peter 1:4); if we, as members of His Church show each other God’s love. This divine love (the ripe fruit of God’s Spirit in us; Galatians 5:22) is the mark of true discipleship. This divine nature and love are also the characteristics of the eternal, divine life within us, the Christ-life, wherein we share and which makes us victors over satan and all his hordes (Romans 8:35-39; Colossians 3:14).

3.
Members of the Body of Christ are further characterized by the courage of the Lion of Judah

John 13 verse 36-38: “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”
Human religious courage will soon turn out to be weakness. Through the grace of God our personal weakness must develop unto the courage of the Lion of Judah (type of Jesus as Victor) (Joshua 1:6-9; 2 Timothy 1:7).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 12 – The necessity of the death of the Lamb

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

The necessity of the death of the Lamb

The sevenfold sprinkling of the blood in seven Scripture passages.

From this moment on Jesus, as the Lamb of God, proceeded unwaveringly to Golgotha, for which purpose He came into the world (verse 27). God’s justice demanded punishment for man’s sin. The fall of man was no surprise to God… God already foresaw this before He created man, but He gave man a way out unto salvation, if at least man be prepared to turn to God, by sharing the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Golgotha. And we share it if we are willing to die (off) to our old, sinful life. Seven Scripture passages in this chapter will indicate seven times the necessity for the blood of God’s Lamb to be shed to work man’s reconciliation with God. At the symbolical Tabernacle or temple act on the Great Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) [1] the high priest also was to sprinkle before the Ark of the Covenant seven times the blood of the sin offerings (Leviticus 16:14-15). Seven is the biblical number of completeness/fullness. Therefore the sevenfold sprinkling of the blood by the high priest also speaks of complete deliverance offered unto us by the blood of God’s Lamb (Hebrews 9:12-14), whereby the purified and sanctified person, spiritually seen, could come (before and in) the throne of God (Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 3:21). Seen in the light of the Israelitic Tabernacle this means that we can enter the Holy of holies of God’s Tabernacle, and in an absolute sense, share the complete union with our almighty God, symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant.  Naaman was to wash himself seven times in the Jordan to become completely pure (2 Kings 5:14).

The 1^st Scripture passage that speaks of the Blood.

John 12 verse 1-11: “Then Jesus six days before the passover (feast) [2] came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence (i.e. a Roman coin worth around 40 cents), and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and (among the apostles was the one that) had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you: but me ye have not always (with you). Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.”
Here is spoken of the anointing Jesus received from Mary of Bethany as “a preparation unto His burial“. This anointing took place in the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50).
With this anointing with very costly (spike)nard, Jesus in fact was glorified as the Lamb of God, Which would take away the sin of the world, by Mary, who, driven by the Holy Spirit and by her gratitude, anticipated His death.
The bottle of (spike-)nard had to be broken for her to pour out this nard over Jesus. Similarly, if our gratitude and love is to be revealed unto the world as a living testimony of the (new) Christ-life we have received by grace in the place of the old “I”-life, our own “I”-life must be broken if we bear in our heart the nard of grateful love for Jesus and His sacrifice brought for us.
Here, too, the deadly hatred of the high priests who rejected Him, is expressed (verse 10).
The family of Bethany – namely Lazarus, Mary and Martha – is shown here “in resurrection power”. Lazarus took part in a meal (verse 2), a symbolical image of the participation of our spirit in the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:14), the Wedding supper of the Lamb (Luke 14:15-24; Matthew 22:1-14). Mary anointed Jesus with nard (verse 3), a symbol of the worship and praise of the soul. Martha served at this meal (verse 2), type of the body that is now serving in all activities concerning the serving and administering of the divine Wedding supper.

The 2^nd Scripture passage.

John 12 verse 12-19: “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna, Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt. These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.”
This passage is about the last time Jesus entered Jerusalem. This happened exactly four days before Jesus’ crucifixion on the 16th Nisan, in accordance with the prophecy included in the establishment of the Passover feast (see Exodus 12:3-6). From then on the divine Lamb had been “in store” in order to be “slaughtered after four days, in the evening (at dusk)”. Jesus entered Jerusalem, in accordance with Zechariah’s prophecy (9:9), riding on a donkey, to be applauded by the people as Israel’s King. The people had other intentions than Jesus had, and they thought that He would intervene politically to deliver them from the hated yoke of the Romans. Jesus disappointed them in their assumptions, and their “hosannas” would soon be replaced by their “crucify Him! “But Jesus, as a willing “donkey”, wanted to lead man – through His death and resurrection – to the eternal, heavenly New Jerusalem. There He would be an eternal King to man, in order for them to reign with Him in the New Heaven and the New Earth(s). In verse 19 we again see the bitter hatred of the Pharisees emerge/appear.

The 3^rd Scripture passage.

John 12 verse 20-24: “And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
There were some Greek proselytes (these are converts), who had also come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast there. They desired to see Jesus, because they had heard so much about Him. The demand for Jesus, the Redeemer and Savior, would soon sound throughout the entire heathen world (heathenism/ heathendom). But before they could receive their salvation through Jesus “the (divine) Seed, the corn of wheat, first had to fall to the ground and die; only then it would bring forth much fruit” (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 53:10-12).

The 4^th Scripture passage.

John 12 verse 25-30: “He/she that loveth his/her life shall lose it; and he/she that hateth (does not love) his/her life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any (wo)man serve me, let him/her follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any (wo)man serve me, him/her will my Father honor. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.”
Jesus’ death on the cross, the shedding of His blood, was a substitute for each child of God (for He died for our sins). Therefore each child of God must share (in the spirit) the death on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:5; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11). We are to follow Jesus in His death and resurrection to be able to truly serve Him (Luke 9:23-25). For we can only rise in “newness of life” if we have died (off) to our old, sinful life. The Father glorified His Name in Jesus Christ, and He shall glorify His Name also in all, who have come to full (spiritual) maturity in the Christ-body.

The 5^th Scripture passage.

John 12 verse 31-36: “Now is the judgement of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.”
The whole world must be brought under God’s dominion again (Romans 8:18-21). By Jesus’ death and resurrection the keys of hell and death have been snatched from satan (Luke 11:21-22; Revelation 1:18), and have been given to the Church (Matthew 16:19; Ephesians 4:7-13) that Jesus again be King of the world (Revelation 11:15; Psalm 2:5-12), while His Church, as His Body here on earth, may reign with Him (Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:11; Revelation 20:4). And not only reign over people, but over all satanic forces (also, and especially those in man).
This (divine) work began after His resurrection, and shall be concluded at His return on the clouds, in great power and glory, which will take place at the end of time (Matt. 24:30; Rev.19:11-14).
Then He shall reign over His Church in the Millennium, together with His elders (they, who have reached spiritual maturity here on earth) (Isaiah 24:23; Luke 19:17 and 19; Revelation 20:4). After that, when His entire Church will have reached (full) maturity (Ephesians 4:12-16), He shall reign, with the entire Church, in the New Heaven and over the New Earth(s) for all eternity (1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21:1-27).
We are all called to share Jesus’ royal anointing for ever (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:10), as we will share His priestly anointing here on earth (He the High Priest, we His priests). On the new earth(s) (Isaiah 65:17-25) there will be a new generation of people, when we have been perfected as countless sons of God. There we shall serve God for all eternity, and share His dominion. (See also my study “What Scripture teaches about the Millennium of King Jesus (the porch of the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem)”.

The 6^th Scripture passage.

John 12 verse 37-43: “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed (or: who has seen that God had His hand in all these miracles)? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw the glory, and spake of him. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
It was because of the unbelief of the chief rulers of the Jews, that Jesus was taken to the cross. This also happened because of the un-confessed belief/faith of many chief rulers, because they feared to be banned from the synagogue, and because they loved the praise of people (more). But the truth behind these circumstances is that the Father Himself led His Son unto death for the salvation of man (Isaiah 53:10; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:8-9).

The 7^th Scripture passage.

John 12 verse 44-50: “Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge (the people of) the world, but to save (the people of) the world (forever). He/she that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him/her: (namely) the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him/her in the last day (of judgement). For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
True faith in Jesus and (complete) submission to Him – that He might prove in the believer His work on the cross of Calvary, finished for us – brings eternal life to man (John 1:12; 3:16), but whoever does not believe will receive eternal condemnation (Matthew 25:41; Mark 16:16; John 3:18-19). Also: whoever believes, but does not obey Him comes under God’s judgement (John 3:36). Unbelief in Jesus’ shed (for us), atoning blood will cause God’s judgement to come down on the sinner’s head in all fullness (Matthew 25:41).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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[1] a: The Great Day of Atonement was on the tenth day of the month Tishri (the seventh month of the Israelitic religious year; the first month of the civil and economic year; with us this is around September/October). The directions for this day we find in Leviticus 16 and 23:27-32. See for the fulfilment in Christ Hebrews 9. From Leviticus 16 we find that even the high priest could not enter the Holy of holies at any time and without special ceremonies. He and his house needed reconciliation as well. The people of Israel and the holy place themselves had to be reconciled too. Just once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest of Israel entered into the holy place with the shed blood of the sin offering, sacrificed on the Altar of burnt offering; and in this way reconciliation was worked with that blood. “And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” (Leviticus 16:19). Fasting was required for this day. The Great Day of Atonement impresses man with the holiness of YaHWeH (i.e. God), but also with the sinfulness of man, even of the people of the covenant (Israel) and its most holy persons, and thus of the necessity of the offering of Christ on the cross of Calvary. The “Once-for-all sacrifice” of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary is the foundation of all! Seven times that blood had to be sprinkled, and so this ministry of Christ (as Mediator of the New Testament) symbolically reaches unto the end of the seven times… A ministry of reconciliation, which lasted until the end of the present dispensation.

b: The Great Day of Atonement, therefore, is a spiritual feast, which taught, and teaches, Israel and us that the sinner can only be forgiven and reconciled with God by that once finished, for all humanity of all time, sacrifice of the Lamb of God, because He worked an eternal salvation there, and because that offering-blood was accepted by the heavenly Judge (Hebrews 9:11-12).

[2] From the bible encyclopaedia:
Under the name Passover one could draw together the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. The establishment of the Passover we find in Exodus 12:1-28; 13:3-10; Leviticus 23:4-8; Numbers 28:16-25; Deuteronomy 16:1-8 and 16. In the month of the exodus out of Egypt YaHWeH commanded Moses and Aaron to say to the Israelites that the head of every family had to take a lamb on the 10th Nissan (also called Abib, with us around March/April), which from then on was to be the first month of the year (see Exodus 12:2; 13:4; 23:15). If the family was too small for one lamb, then they had to share one lamb between two families with the nearest neighbors. In this institution the family is a unity, represented by the head (of the family), acting as a priest, which at a later date was replaced by the priests and the Levites (see Deuteronomy 16:5). It had to be a perfect, male lamb, of the sheep or goats. The lamb was to be slaughtered on the 14th of the month, “in the evening” (Exodus 12:6; Deuteronomy 16:6), i.e. at dusk. The blood of the lamb had to be brushed on both side posts and on the upper doorpost of each house. The flesh was to be eaten the same night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The lamb was to be roasted over the fire. No bone thereof was to be broken (Exodus 12:46). Nothing was to be left for the next morning. Moreover, Israel was to eat unleavened bread from the 14th to the 21st day of the month, thus 7 days. On the 1st and 7th day of the feast there was to be a holy meeting. And, every day, besides the normal offerings, feast-offerings were to be brought. The Passover is the feast of the saving passing-by of the Lord: “…and when I see the blood, I will pass over you…” (Exodus 12:13). It points to the being spared, by the blood of the lamb, of the judgement YaHWeH brought over Egypt in the tenth plague: the death of all firstborn. The feast of the unleavened bread commemorates the haste at the exodus (Deuteronomy 16:3), thus the exodus itself. For the symbolical meaning of the Passover, see John 1:29 and 36; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8. The later Jews distinguished between the establishments, which applied to the Passover in Egypt, and those which continued to be valid. They considered the choosing of the lamb on the tenth day, the brushing on of the blood on the houses, the eating of the Passover lamb in travelling clothes and with anxious haste, not repeatable.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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