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 complete breakthrough in the veil of our flesh
In the light of the Israelitic tabernacle, this chapter and the next are in the sign of the torn veil of the temple (Matthew 27:51). The veil in the temple (tabernacle) symbolized the body of Jesus Christ that had to be torn (bruised – see Isaiah 53:10) for the sin He, in order to be able to deliver us, bore upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21). This breakthrough in the veil of our flesh, which was finished for us, by Jesus, by His sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 10:20), is worked in us by the sanctifying works of the Blood, the Word and the Holy Spirit on the one hand (Titus 2:11; 3:7; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11; Romans 6:5), and our sacrifices of praise for our God and Savior on the other hand (Hebrews 13:15).
The sacrificing of praise is a twofold concept. On the one hand it speaks of our gratitude and praise for the work on Calvary, finished for us (Psalm 50:23), and on the other hand of the offering of our old, sinful life on the altar of Calvary’s cross, which is holy and well-pleasing to God (Romans 12:1).
If we sincerely offer our praise, then all remaining works of the carnal nature will be ended by God’s grace, and, because of this, the door to God’s throne is also completely cleared (Matthew 18:10b; John 8:36; Ephesians 5:26-27; Isaiah 1:18; 1 Peter 2:24), so that from then on only the Christ-nature will rule in such people, whereby they have become true members of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) and hence partakers of Christ, the Son of God. Then they are admitted into His divine Body which God is preparing for the repented part of this world and for the future world.
These Christians have then truly entered through the door, which, for us, is the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.
John 10 verse 1-2: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”
John 10 verse 7-16: “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and (therefore) careth not for (is not committed to) the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
If, spiritually seen, we thus enter into the pure, divine life, which is symbolized by the Holy of holies of Israel’s tabernacle, wherein is also the Ark of the Covenant, which is an indication of the throne of God. Symbolically this, in fact, is expressed by the going through the sanctuary (Holy Place) of Israel’s tabernacle, wherein by the threefold works of the Table of Showbread, the Candlestick, and the Altar of Incense, being the image of the works of the Word, Holy Spirit and self-sacrificing prayer and worship, the child of God will ultimately be completely purified and sanctified. Such Christians are ruled by the nature of God (2 Peter 1:4), by the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), by God’s justice, mercy, purity (holiness) and love (Matthew 5:6-9). These Christians will then have completely lost their old “thieving and killing nature”.
Carnal man has the nature of satan (James 3:15; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 3:8-10; 5:19), namely the “thieving and killing nature” (John 8:44). But whosoever went in through the Door (type for Jesus; namely by the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ), has lost his/her original nature, and has put on the new Christ-nature (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 a; 1 John 3:9). He/she has received the nature of the “Good Shepherd” (Psalm 23).
John 10 verse 3: “To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.”
The “porter” is the one who hears (listens and obeys), who recognizes the voice of the Good Shepherd and opens his/her heart unto Him.
John 10 verse 4: “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.”
Such Christians are true leaders/shepherds of the “flock”; they truly lead their sheep in life and beha-vior/attitude, in word and deed (Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:7).
John 10 verse 5-6: “And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.”
So, the “stranger” is the one, who have not had the (spiritual) Door-experience in Christ. Such “Christians” then are “self-grazers” (namely believers, who seek profits/gain for themselves or for their own local church) and are thieves and murderers (Matthew 21:33-45; the parable of the evil husbandmen).
John 10 verse 7-16: Already discussed under verses 1-2.
John 10 verse 17-21: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said, He hath a devil (or: he is possessed by an evil spirit), and is mad; why hear ye him? Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?”
In order to be the Good Shepherd for His sheep, Jesus Christ had to endure the sacrifice on the cross, namely go through death and resurrection (Luke 11:21-22; Ephesians 4:8-10); as a result of which He was able to share His Shepherd-nature with His servants, called and anointed by Him; having formed them into members of His Christ-Body, to pull others out of the world that they, too, might share that same perfect Christ-Body (Ephesians 4:11-16; Revelation 22:17).
John 10 verse 22-30: “And it was at Jerusalem the (annual) feast of the dedication (of the temple)[1], and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”
John 10 verse 37-38: “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believed not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”
The “Good Shepherd” is characterized by the works He did and does in the Name of the Father (Luke 7:22). The sheep then hear His voice, listen to (i.e. obey) Him, and He leads them inwards into the eternal (Christ) life (Psalm 23; Joel 2:23). Jesus said to be one with the Father, and His works testify of this oneness/unity.
John 10 verse 31-33: “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
The Jews found this remark of Jesus “blasphemous”, because He (in their eyes) being (just) a Man, made Himself God.
John 10 verse 34-36: “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?”
Scripture says that those, unto whom the Word of God has come (these are those that have been delivered and renewed by the Word of God), that they are “children of the Most High”, and thus gods (Psalm 82:6). Therefore Jesus did not blaspheme when He said: “I am God’s Son”! He could say this on the basis of Psalm 82:6, but He was and has been from eternity!
John 10 verse 37-38: Already discussed under verses 22-30.
John 10 verse 39-42: “Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John (the Baptist) at first baptized; and there he abode. And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there.”
Many others in the land beyond Jordan (i.e. the land east of the Jordan) did believe in His being the “Good Shepherd”.
By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher
To be continued
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[1] From the Biblical Encyclopedia: The feast of dedication or feast of the consecration of the temple was on the 25th Kislew (the ninth month of the Israelitic year, and, with us, in the month of December), and is the so-called Chanukah feast. Chanukah = dedication. One then commemorates the purification of the temple by Judes the Macabean in 165 B.C., after that the temple had been desecrated three years before by the Syrians under Antiochus IV Epiphanes. This feast was celebrated for eight days, approximately as with the feast of tabernacles (Sukkoth), but then in winter. One lights the houses in a special way. These days the so-called Chanukah lamps are well known. The Chanukah feast has become a feast of light.
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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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