CONT., part 6
THE COVENANT PATTERN
Let
us now look at yet another very important trinity pattern. In fact, this is the pattern that was
originally going to be the subject of this writing, preparing us for the new
and revealing examination in the next section. But it was soon evident that the writing
needed to be expanded in order to look at trinities in a broader scope. The trinity we see here follows the
pattern whereby the first and the last are alike, and the center is distinctly
different. Therefore, in this case
we cannot use the “&” to identify the likeness of the two, and will simply
give this the identity of 1 – 2 – 1, with the 1s being separate
items, but alike.
Like
the 1 & 2 – 3 pattern, this 1 – 2 – 1 pattern is repeated
throughout the Scriptures. Also,
this pattern is so incredibly tied to one particular type of effectual
fulfillment or application, that we can actually name it. That application is most clearly set
forth in Genesis 15:9-18, where we see the covenant that Yahweh made with
Abram. You can read that passage if
you need more details, but Abram split four different animals in half, placed
the parts opposite each other, and a smoking oven and burning torch passed
between them. Thus we see the 1 –
2 – 1 pattern:
Split parts – Oven
and torch –
Split parts
So,
what can we accurately name this pattern?
Clearly, it is the Covenant Pattern. And as noted, this pattern is repeated
over and over again. Why so? Because Yahweh God is government, and government
is effectual, enduring, and essential replicable order. By contrasting these three qualities of
government, you can better see their absolute necessity. That contrast would be: failure, a shortfall, and lawlessness,
not to speak of haphazard. The
former produces life, and the latter produces death. So, let us look at some more of these
divine effectual Covenant Patterns.
A
most important and even vital fulfillment of this pattern is the church. Zechariah 4 clearly lays out that
pattern. That is:
Olive tree – Lampstand
– Olive tree
Of
course the two olive trees are the former and the latter works in the
church: the two-part Bride. As stated in that chapter, they are the
“two sons of fresh oil,” established by the former and latter rains of the Holy
Spirit. And of course these two
works are split by the Body of Christ, which is seen here in the lampstand with
the bowl that is over it. So, let
us now lay out that Covenant Pattern fulfillment. It is:
Bride – Body
of Christ –
Bride
Here
again, this is a Covenant Pattern whereby God makes a covenant through the
church. But in addition, and most
importantly, He repeats this pattern using these two parts—the Bride and
the Body—to effect an even more significant covenant that is moreso on the
order of Genesis 15.
In
Zechariah 6, we see the testimony that the Millennial Reign is established
between the two 2,000-year periods of Christianity (ref., The Tale Of Two Pillars). How is this moreso a fulfillment of
Genesis 15? Because
in Zechariah 4, one item passes between the split parts. But in Genesis 15, as well as in the
fulfillment we see in Zechariah 6, two things pass between the split
parts. In Zechariah 6 the split
parts are two bronze mountains, and that which passes between them is the
temple. The temple is the
Millennial Reign, when the Bride rules and reigns with Immanuel. These two are the fulfillments of the
smoking oven, which is the Bride, and the burning torch, which is
Immanuel. Granted, in Zechariah 6
all we see attested is the temple.
But it speaks of Immanuel building His temple and reigning on this earth
with His bride. Thus we see the
testimony:
Bronze mountain – Temple
– Bronze mountain
And
the fulfillment is:
2,000 years of Christianity – Millennial
Reign –
2,000 years of Christianity
Also
addressed in The Tale Of Two Pillars,
that which is testified in the two bronze mountains with the temple between
them, is clearly repeated in Solomon’s temple where in order to enter the
temple, one had to pass between nothing less than two bronze pillars. So, the two bronze mountains are
prophetically the same as the two bronze pillars, and in both testimonies the
temple is the Millennial Reign.
Thus we add:
Bronze pillar – Temple
entrance –
Bronze pillar
Let
us return to the testimony we see in Zechariah 4 where the Body of Christ
passes between the split Bride, and add yet another affirming trinity.
Paul
wrote, “the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual” (1
Corinthians 15:46). This is
certainly true with the natural types we have thus far seen: the covenant with Abram and Solomon’s
temple. But we also see that at the
very beginning, at Creation, God laid out another natural Covenant Pattern, and
it continues to this day. What did
He do? He designed the man and the
woman so that when the one-flesh union of the two is effected
in consummation, it testifies that it is indeed a covenant, even a blood
covenant. Just as we have seen thus
far, particularly in Zechariah 4, the male passes between the split parts of
the female. And, Yahweh provided in
the woman the hymen so as to attest that the union of a man and a woman is a
blood covenant—by the shedding of blood when the veil/hymen is rent. (Even if the hymen is already rent, the
blood testimony that Yahweh provided still remains.) Thus we see the Covenant Pattern:
Female split part – Male
part – Female split part
And
let us look at yet another blood covenant, one with which you are most
familiar. When you read it, you
will know exactly what it is:
Thief – Yahshua
– Thief
Yes,
it is the crucifixion of Yahshua; and His crucifixion was identical to the
Zechariah 4 “Bride – Body of Christ – Bride” covenant, as well as
the consummation covenant between a man and a woman. Just as a rent veil and blood mark that
consummation covenant, so a rent veil and blood marked the covenant effected by
Yahshua on Passover when slain between two covenant parts—the two
thieves.
Let
us here expound further upon this “Bride – Body of Christ – Bride”
covenant, so as to see what the Scriptures tell us about the church—what
it truly and more completely is.
The first few testimonies are addressed in a writing that is a
favorite—The Promise. That writing is actually devoted to this
very pattern and would be helpful to read in order to gain further
insight. After this first testimony
we will be rather brief in our analysis of the other like testimonies; so if
you want to know more or understand them better, read The Promise.
We
will begin with that which has already been mentioned in section three. In Exodus 33:18-23, we saw that just
before the eighth trip up Mount Sinai, Moses was given the promise that he
would stand on a rock beside Yahweh, and then be hidden in the cleft of a
rock. Next, Yahweh would pass by,
remove His hand that had covered him, and Moses would see His back. We also noted that while Moses began the
natural fulfillment of this promise, it was in fact Elijah who moreso fulfilled
and certainly completed it. What we
have not mentioned though is that this too was a natural testimony that would
be fulfilled spiritually—first the natural, then the spiritual. Here we see the pattern:
Stand on the rock beside Him – Hide
in the cleft of the rock –
Bring out of rock and see His back
So
what is the spiritual fulfillment?
This is once again the church!
The first Remnant stood on the rock, Peter, with the Son of God
literally standing there with them.
Then Yahshua left, the first Remnant work ended, and yes, the Body of
Christ was hidden in the cleft of the rock. Let us briefly expound upon this so as
to affirm that this is precisely what the Body of Christ is. Here again, as went Christ, so goes the
Body of Christ. (To read more about
this, read “Hidden
In the Cleft.”)
In
Jeremiah 13:1-7, Jeremiah was told to take a linen waistband to the Euphrates
River and equally hide it in the cleft of a rock. When he went back and dug it up, the
“waistband was ruined, it was totally worthless!” So, where else was linen hidden in the
cleft of a rock? Yahshua’s body was
wrapped in linen and placed in the cleft of a rock, in a tomb carved in a
rock. But, did His body remain
there and the linen likewise become worthless? Not at all! After three days and three nights, He
overcame death and came out of the tomb, out of the rock. But, does the Body of Christ, which is
obligated to 3,000 years in that rock, have the like power of an indestructible
life? Not at all. And as we have seen, if Yahweh does not
cut those days short, no flesh would be saved. Just as Jeremiah attested, their linen
kingdom work would be worthless!
Therefore,
as we have seen, Yahweh has to cut cleft-of-the-rock Christianity short, and
complete what He began 2,000 years ago by establishing the second covenant part
Bride work. This is the third part
of the trinity that comes out of the sleeping Body of Christ, out of the cleft
side of the rock, and sees Yahweh’s back—what He is doing. This is the Elijah work that prepares
the way for Immanuel.
Next, in a briefer account—but even so, remarkably revealing and significant—in Genesis 38:27-30 we read about the birth of the twin sons of Judah by Tamar. We have already noted that if you want to know the pattern and outcome of the church, all you have to do is look at the father of the tribe from which Yahshua came—Judah. As went Judah’s offspring, so has gone the church. We have already seen that the three sons from his Canaanite wife clearly evidence the 3,000 years of the church: two were cut off and died, and the third escaped death by not receiving the granddaughter of Melchizedek, Tamar.
So, what was the solution for keeping this linage to Yahshua alive? By deceit (yet fulfilling the Law of kinsman redeemer), Judah laid with Tamar, and twins that were not the corrupt and unacceptable mix were born. If the three mixed sons represent the three parts of failed Christianity, then what did these two equally prophetic sons of Judah represent? The testimony is clear.
At
the time of their births, the first son extended his hand out and the midwife
tied a scarlet thread on it, identifying him as the firstborn. But, he then drew his hand back into the
womb, and the second son was born.
However, that son was breach, and was thereby named Perez, or
“breach.” Then the son with the
scarlet thread was born, and he was named Zerah, meaning “light.” So we see the pattern:
Zerah – Perez
– Zerah
And
with the meaning of their names, that would speak:
Light – Breach
– Light
What
was Yahweh foreshadowing, again the natural preceding the spiritual? The answer is obvious. The first Remnant “light” came forth,
but did not continue, and the light was withdrawn. Next came the breach,
Christianity—the breach cleft-in-the-rock experience and period. Then finally comes the fulfillment of
that which began 2,000 years ago and light returns—evidenced even by all
that you are reading here. When
before has this kingdom truth ever been seen? And confirming this present light, in
the Gospel comparisons relative to Bible
contradictions, the Gospel of Luke speaks of the
second Remnant. “Luke” means
“light”—the second Remnant light.
By
the fact that only Zerah’s hand came out the first
time, and that “light” is identified with the Luke second Remnant, as well as
the two anointings of the blind man that brought full
sight with the second touch (Mark 8:23-25), and that Yahweh’s back was revealed
after the cleft, so we see that the second Remnant are the ones who see all
things clearly. This now leads us
to yet another attesting trinity:
Leah – Jacob
– Rachel
We
read in Genesis 29:17 that of Jacob’s two wives, “Leah's eyes were weak.” This was certainly the state of the
first Remnant—they had weak eyes.
And Rachel was Jacob’s beloved wife, who was “beautiful of form and
face.” This is the beloved second
Remnant.
And
if you go to Song of Songs 8:8-10, you see the like testimony. There we read: “We have a little sister, and she has no
breasts; . . . and my breasts were like towers; then I became in his eyes as
one who finds peace.” Thus we see
the same revealing and affirming testimony regarding the two-part Bride:
Sister with no breasts – Groom
– Sister with towering breasts who provides peace
Now for a most intriguing and helpful testimony. In 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, we read in a
literal translation: “And you know what
the thing restraining is, so that in his time he [the man of lawlessness] may
be revealed. For the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work; only the restraining one will do so until it
comes out of the midst.” This
passage is agreed to be one of the most difficult passages to understand in all
the Scriptures. But as we have seen
thus far, by examining one of Yahweh’s revealing prophetic trinity testimonies,
we can understand what this is telling us.
Also, read The Great Tribulation, page
6, which thoroughly addresses this matter.
First,
in order to understand what Paul is addressing here, all we have to do is read
verse 1 of that chapter: “Now we
request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and
our gathering together to Him . . . .” So, we already know this has to do with
Immanuel’s coming and the catching up of the Bride. Therefore, is it not clear that that
which “comes out of the midst” is the Bride? It is just that simple. And of course the Bride returns with
Immanuel. Therefore, verse 8 then
confirms this with the statement:
“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the
breath of His mouth and bring to an end by
the appearance of His coming.”
Thus, the Bride is the “restraining one” that “comes out of the midst.”
Now
for the revealing and confirming prophetic testimony. And remember, the natural precedes the
spiritual. After the Medes and
Persians captured Babylon, Darius the Mede reigned as king. The next king was Cyrus. Then after Cyrus was Darius the
Persian. Thus we have the 1 –
2 – 1 trinity:
Darius –
Cyrus – Darius
So
you ask: What is so significant and
relevant about this? The question
at hand has been: What is the
“restraining one”? Most
importantly, the name “Darius” means “restraining
one.” What then does “Cyrus”
mean? It means “sun,” or possibly
“to humiliate.” Therefore, with the
meanings of these names we have the following 1 – 2 – 1 trinity:
Restraining one – Sun
or to humiliate –
Restraining one
Therefore,
we see the same thing we have seen over and over and over again—that the
church is a trinity, and in the Scriptures Yahweh God evidences in His
revealing and affirming like trinity patterns, truth after truth after truth
regarding it. It is His consistent
repetitive way. And now, we see
that the two Remnant are indeed the restraining ones;
and that the mystery of lawlessness, which as stated was already at work when
Paul wrote those words almost 2,000 years ago, will be exposed with the coming
of Immanuel. Again, to more fully
understand this read The Great Tribulation,
page 6.
It is a most valuable writing.
Finally
in this section, here are two additional revealing testimonies of the 1 –
2 – 1 church:
Elijah –
Chariot –
Elisha
In
2 Kings 2:9-12, we see Elijah and Elisha east of the Jordan walking along and
talking, when there appeared “a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of
them. And Elijah went up by a
whirlwind to heaven.” Most people
strangely think that Elijah went up in the chariot. But no, the fiery chariot separated
them.
Here
again we see the two Remnant separated by Christianity. The Remnant are
indeed the Elijah, but it is the second Remnant who complete the work and
prepare the way for Immanuel.
However, Elisha died, and Elijah ascended alive. So regarding that testimony, in the way
we think reading left to right, it would be more fitting to lay this out as:
Elisha–
Chariot –
Elijah
But
on the other hand, the second Remnant receive the double portion of the Spirit,
so in that case the first stated order would be more appropriate, for Elisha
asked for and received a double portion.
Certainly, these two men flip back and forth in their testimonies. But in the end, the two are in fact
one. Eli – jah and Eli – sha, when
united become Eli – Yahshua.
Briefly,
this double portion is seen in Job as well. We read that before his affliction by
Satan he had “X” amount of fortune.
Then after his affliction he had 2 X amount of fortune (Job 42:10). Like Elisha, he received a double
portion. Thus we see here:
X fortune – Afflicted
by Satan –
2X fortune
And
one of the most important things to note in this highly prophetic trinity
account is that just as Christ was afflicted by Satan,
so the Body of Christ is afflicted by Satan. We often say, as went Christ, so goes
the Body of Christ. Well, it can
equally be said, as went Job, so has gone the church—Bride and Body. The first Remnant were afflicted and
died, as well as the Body of Christ.
And remember, even as Christianity was supposed to have received 3,000
years, so Job had three “friends” who accused and afflicted him. Clearly, these three afflicting friends
were a type of 3,000 years of Christianity.
Before
closing this section, in light of what was just addressed where the second
Remnant type is the fulfillment, let us see how these former and latter Remnant
works consistently testify to a like death/life contrast. Of course an important testimony and
even fulfillment of this pattern is the death of the first Remnant, and the
ascending alive of the second Remnant.
This death/life truth is seen over and over again in the Scriptures and
in the ways of Yahweh.
• The most important
fulfillment of this is Yahshua Himself.
When He came as a man 2,000 years ago, He came as the Lamb of God and
died. That is the vital former
work. And having been faithful in
that role, He is qualified to then come as the Lion and rule and reign on this
earth as Immanuel, or God with us.
• For the sake of this
list, we see that in like testimony Elisha died, and Elijah ascended
alive.
• Another
highly revealing testimony is of course the two birds used in the cleansing of
the healed leper. In Leviticus
14:1-7, we see that the first bird was slain over an earthen vessel over
running water, and the second bird was dipped into the blood of the first bird
and then released alive over an open field.
• In similar regard, in
Leviticus 16:7-10 we read of two goats that were offered on Atonement. One goat was killed, and the other goat,
the scapegoat, was taken out into the wilderness and released alive.
• Though
both thieves on each side of Yahshua in fact died, it is noteworthy that the
latter was promised, “today, you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
•
We have already seen that when the sons of Israel
first came up to the Promised Land, it produced death. And the second time they came to it, it
produced victory and life.
• One example we can all
relate to and experience is this body we live in that is from this earth. For 6,000 years this first body we
possess has resulted in death.
However, the second body, that which is from above, like the second bird
will not, and even will never die.
• Elisha
laid on a dead lad, and though the lad became warm, he was still dead. Then Elisha laid on him a second time
and the lad sneezed seven times and opened his eyes and was alive (2 Kings
4:32-35).
• Of course we recall the
two times Yahshua laid His hands on the eyes of the blind man. The first time he could see men as trees
walking about. The second time he
could see everything clearly (Mark 8:23-25).
•
And here is yet another testimony/fulfillment, which
you will have to read more about here
and here. In fact, we will lay
out the pattern so that you can see the complete work. Again, it follows the pattern of the
church. Here it is:
Judas – Satan
– Elijah
If you will read the above links, you will
see that, of course, Judas dies, and the Elijah does not die and performs the
fulfilling third-part work.
• Moses
died east of Jordan opposite Jericho (Deuteronomy 34:1, 5), and Elijah ascended
alive east of the Jordan opposite Jericho (2 Kings 2).
• And let us note that in
fact death prevails before the Millennial Reign, and life prevails during and
after it (click
here).
• Although
Esau moreso represents Christianity, still the passing of the rights of the
former to the latter, Jacob, attest to what we are seeing here.
• And another two
brothers, here representing the two Remnant, are Joseph and Benjamin—the
two sons of Rachel, the beloved.
Joseph was a type of the first Remnant who died, not literally but
figuratively—in the pit, and believed to be dead by his father. And the major issue with Benjamin was
that Jacob did not want to lose him to death as well. Also, like the first Remnant, Joseph
made it possible for Benjamin and the others to be delivered from loss and were
highly blessed, especially Benjamin.
It
is most appropriate to close this section with Joseph and Benjamin, for you
will see in this next section that Benjamin affords some amazing truth
regarding this highly unique and important Covenant Pattern 1 – 2 –
1 trinity.
Continue
to page 7 of Trinities for SITTING ON HIS RIGHT AND HIS LEFT