Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Number ONE- Biblical Mathematics
This is a study of the number ONE and the meaning of it's usage as a tool to lock together the scriptures, further proving that God's Word is not a compilation of thoughts by a number of historical witnesses. It is however, a proof that God designed the Biblical texts using precise words and numbers, in order that we, the watchmen and students of His word would recognize the signature that He has left on the Word.
In Ephesians 4:3 Paul admonished them to keep the UNITY of
the Spirit, in the bond of peace. The grace of God abolished this division that
was between the Israelite and the Gentile and brought about the UNITY of the
Spirit in the bond of peace for those who believe. This was done when the two
were made ONE in Christ.
It takes more than
union to bring UNITY. Men have brought about a union of nations in the hope of
bringing peace on the earth. But they have not succeeded in bringing UNITY
(oneness) and peace. We can have, and do have union and strife and war. But
where ther is UNITY there is peace.
In John the 10th
chapter, Jesus said,
"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 flock, and ONE shepherd." (John 10:16)
These words of our Lord conveyed a remarkable truth, and
because the Jews were not prepared to accept this invitation to come into vital
union with Christ, there was a division among them.
Another very
interesting fact in connection with this number , is that in Hebrew there are
two words for ONE. "ECHAD" meaning a compound or collective UNITY,
such for instace as, ONE crowd, ONE flock, ONE group etc., and
"YACHEED", meaning absolute UNITY or UNIQUENESS. While the former
word is used many times in the scriptures, the latter word is used only TWELVE
times, and always seems to refer in type to the Lord Jesus, the Only ONE. The
first time this word occurs is in Genesis 22:2.
"Take now
thy son, thine only son, Isaac, who thou lovest--"
Here we have the first clear type of Him Who is the Only
Begotten Son.
In Psalm 22:20,
the Crucifixion Psalm, this word is found again. Here Jesus is called "MY
Darling" (literal meaning MY ONLY ONE)
The last place
this word is found in the Old Testament is in Zechariah 12:10 which states that
the Jew "will mourn as one mourneth for his only ONE".
"They
shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one
mourneth for his only ONE".
Here is clear evidence and reference to the Lord Jesus, the
only hope for poor, hell-deserving sinners.
These scriptures
reveal two truths.
1. That the
Lord God had only ONE Son whom He was giving for the life of the world.
2. There can
only be true UNITY in Jewish national life, and union with God when they,
recognize their Messiah as the ONE who they have rejected.
In Dueteronomy
6:4, the other word, "echad" is used for "ONE Lord",
showing that God is a composite Unity.
Three persons in ONE God, thus early in scripture giving proof of the
great doctrine of the Trinity.
Then the glorious
Millenium so rapidly drawing near, is singled out by the Holy Spirit to show,
that then, there will be UNITY of rule, Zechariah 14:9 stating,
"And the
Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day shall there be ONE Lord, and
His Name ONE."
And it shall happen on a special day, as verse 7 tells us:
"But it shall be ONE day, which shall be known to the
Lord, not day nor night: but it shall come to pass that at evening time it
shall be light."
Thus, the beginning of that glorious period of UNITY of rule
under ONE King is marked by ONE day, "not day nor night" like the
FIRST creation day, but on that day at evening time, LIGHT. In this wonderful
way is the great lesson of number ONE, given in the FIRST chapter of the Bible,
carried through from the Creation to the Millenium -- UNITY and LIGHT.
When we come to
Revelation, the great apocalypse that leads up to the consummation scenes, and
ends with the vision of eternity, we find our Lord describing Himself in the
first chapter as well as in the last chapter, "The First and the
Last", and again, in the letters to the churches, He censures the Church
of Ephesus in His first letter, because "thou has left thy FIRST
Love." This was the sin that led to an ever-widening gap between what the
church of Christ should be and what it is today. Christ is "the
FIRST", and He must come FIRST in the hearts and minds of all His
redeemed. He is the LIGHT, and only as we walk in the LIGHT, shall we have
fellowship one with another and thus manifest that UNITY which was so marked a
feature of Pentecostal days, when "the multitude of them that believed
were of ONE heart and ONE soul."
" But if
we walk in the light, as He is the light, we have fellowship ONE with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son clenseth us from all sin." (I John
1:7)
The book of
Genesis affords us another illustration of this PRIMARY number. In Genesis we
see the Divine Supremecy and Sovereignty of God. God is Sovereign in Creation, in giving life and sustaining life. The name
of which God reveals Himself to the Patriarchs was "EL-SHADDAI",
which means, "God Almighty."
"And I
appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty,
but by My Name YAHVEH was I not known to them." (Exodus 6:3)
This title occurs in Genesis SIX times, and in the rest of
the Pentateuch THREE tiimes -- NINE times in all. (3x3) the square of THREE,
the number for Divine Completeness or Divine Perfection. All through the book
of Genesis we see the Divine Sovereignty of God. See His Soverneignty in
calling Abraham and NO other. (Acts 7:2): choosing Isaac and NOT Ishmael.
(Genesis 17:18-21); Jacob and NOT Esau; Ephraim and NOT Manessah.
This first book is
the ONE book. It contains all the other books in embryo, and has been well
called, "the SEED PLOT of the Bible." It's Divine title is "THE
BEGINNING" the "FIRST".
"In the
beginning God." (Genesis 1:1)
GOD FIRST! Here is the beginning of life, the beginning of
prophecy. (Genesis 3:15) The woman's SEED foretold, the Serpent revealed, and
Salvation provided. The COVENANT made with Abraham (Genesis 15) was
UNCONDITIONAL, because there was only ONE contracting party. The law has a
MEDIATOR, therefore there were TWO parties to the Covenant.
"But a
mediator is not of ONE, but God is ONE." (Galatians 3:20)
God alone made this Covenant. Hence it is called "the
Covenant of PROMISE."
The first time a
word occurs in the Scripture, there is always important significance found
therein. The ancient Jewish commentators called special attention to them, and
laid great stress upon them as always having some significance. It generally
helps us to fix the meaning of the word wherever found in the Scriptures. Take
for example the word "Hallelujah". It occurs FIRST in Psalms 104:35
"Let the
sinner be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou
the Lord, O my soul, Hallelujah."
The FIRST
occurance in the New Testament will be found in Revelation 19:1-3.
" I heard
a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation, glory,
honor and power unto the Lord our God; for true and righteous are His
judgements; for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with
her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand, and
again they said Alleluia."
In both these
places, in the Old Testament and in the New, the FIRST occurance of the word
"Hallelujah" stands in connection with JUDGEMENT. It is a shout of
VICTORY over the enemy.
There are also
many words that occur only ONCE in the Scriptures, which are deeply interesting
to study. In Daniel 8:13 the word "PALMONI, translated "THAT CERTAIN
SAINT", but really means "the Numberer of Secrets," or "the
wonderful Numberer" thus showing us at the outset of our study Who it is
that has hidden this marvellous arithmetic in the Word of God.
In Matthew 11:29
the word "PRAOS" (MEEK) LEARN OF ME; for I am MEEK and lowly in
heart," shows us from whom alone we can learn the secret of meekness, and
obtain that "meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God a great
price."
In II Timothy
3:16, "THE OPNEUSTOS" -- meaning "GOD-BREATHED", descibes the unique sciptures of God. The only God-breathed book in the
world. "All Scripture is God-breathed."
In the life of our
Lord, the FIRST words we find recorded of Him are full of significance. The
Lord Jesus must have spoke often from time to time in His childhood, but the
Holy Spirit was not willing to record the sayings. It was NOT until the age of
TWELVE that He said unto His parents,
"Wist ye
not that I must be about My Father's business." (Luke 2:49)
These are very solemn words, especially in the light of the
FIRST words thrown on the light of His LAST words, when He said, in His dying
hour,
"It is
Finished," (John 19:30)
Now the question
enters the mind, "What is finished?"
Jesus had reference only to ONE thing. "His Father's
Business!" The Redemption and Salvation for man. When Jesus came it was
wholly to accomplish the WILL of the Father. The Father's WILL is FIRST in the
life of the SON.
Here we see the
preeminence of the number ONE, the UNITY with the Father. Jesus said,
"This is
the Father's WILL which hath sent me; that of all that He hath given me, I
shall lose nothing, but should raise it up again in the last day." (John
6:39)
Thus we see that salvation was no afterthought with God, it
was part of the Eternal and glorious purpose of God. Salvation FIRST,
originated with and in the presence of the TRINITY. It was not just primarily
for the GOOD of man, but it was for the Glory of God.
Hebrews 4:12
states that "The Word of God is a discerner (critic) of the thoughts and
intents of the heart." When we
rest upon the UNITY of the Book it becomes the ONE and ONLY critic. When we question its authority as The Word
of God we become its Critics.
In conclusion, we
see that the great lessons taught by the FIRST of figures, is the FIRST things
must come FIRST. There can be no
Spiritual life without the FIRST thing needed, birth. And Spiritual Birth is only possible by receiving HIM WHO IS THE
LIGHT into the soul, then the FIRST day of the Spiritual life begins , and
believing in Him we are brought into "the UNITY of the faith." The
command is "Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall
be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)
Always you will
find UNITY when the number ONE is mentioned. There is ONE Book, ONE plan of
Salvation, ONE faith, ONE light, ONE hope, ONE Lord and ONE gospel.
This number
is used 1898 times throughout the Word of God.
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