Athen's Library

THE SECOND ADVENT

THE COMING OF “ONE LIKE THE SON OF MAN”

Letter #5 In The Series

1998

Six Days Before The Passover

We are going to review some of the symbols that point to the literal, recorded in the story of John 12:1-19.  The time of the seven thunders is the time of learning who or what the symbols point to and how they work.  The whole Bible is full of symbols and we can only explain the literal of the symbols that have been revealed.  Every (all) truth, in its unfolding, is similar to investment bonds.  Financial bonds come due at their appointed time. 

The Passover week is a symbol of the recreation week, or the deliverance.  In the creation week God placed the Sun in the Heavens on the fourth day.  The prophecy of the Messiah call for Him, the S-O-N, to be “cut off” (be freed) in the middle of the week- “cut off”, not in death but from sin.  When Jesus raised from the grave He came forth free from sin (cut off).  He took on sin to pay the penalty for sin.  Then, like the Sun, He (Jesus) was put in the Heavens so He could be established in the Heavenly system (of Light).  This becomes a type for the Second Advent or the literal application of the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel 9.

The yearly system of holy convocations (Leviticus 23) gives us the symbols of the plan of salvation.  To have that plan complete, the symbols must be changed to what they point to - to the literal. To partake of the Passover one acknowledged deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Messiah came to bring deliverance from the bondage of sin, and at the last Passover He celebrated with His disciples, He updated (But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.  Proverbs 4:18) the symbol of the sacrificed lamb to the unleavened bread and wine, symbols of His body and blood by instituting in its place the Lord’s Supper. If we partake of the Lord’s Supper more than once a year we are proclaiming that Messiah must die more than once.

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.  He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  Hebrews 10:9-10.

Six days before the Passover

Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where 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, and given to the poor?  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and 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.  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.  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 Zion: 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.  John 12:1-19.

These verses say that 6 days before Passover, Jesus began His week of preparation for the Passover.  This will help us to understand some of the symbols in the symbolic service, the plan of salvation.

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Passover, 15th

We know that Passover comes the day following the 14th, for on the 14th, between the evening sacrifice and the going down of the sun, or at even, is the beginning of Passover.

Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.  Matthew 23:2-3.

There is always a preparation day before a Sabbath, for the Passover is a Sabbath (Feast Day).  On the preparation for the Passover all old leaven (symbol) was removed from the home.  This has to do with removing sin from our lives, showing what the Messiah would do in our behalf.  Leaven is not always a symbol for sin but old leaven is always a symbol for sin.  For at Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, they were told to make two loaves of bread baked with leaven.  Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:8 “let us keep the feast (Passover), not with old leaven” In Leviticus, all the “Feasts of the Lord” are symbols.  Sabbath is a symbol of the Lord’s Rest.  Passover is a symbol of deliverance.  Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper in the place of the Passover because it too is a symbol of deliverance, the deliverance from sin.  He was delivered from sin (cut off) showing how we too can be delivered.  Jesus said “I am the bread” (symbol). The unleavened bread does not rise-no breath-symbolizes His death.  The bread with leaven rises symbolizes life so the bread shows life and death depending on the time of the year it is used. The bread shows the work Jesus has done and is doing for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  1 Corinthians 5:8.

Now, if we know that the 15th is the Passover then we can date the other days, but we have yet to determine the days of the week.

         1                 9^th

         2               10^th

         3               11^th

         4               12^th

         5               13^th

         6               14^th

     Passover         15^th          1^st day of Passover week

                          16^th          2^nd day of Passover week

                          17^th          3^rd day of Passover week

                          18^th          4^th day of the Passover week

Here we see that 6 days before Passover was the 9th day of the first month when Jesus came to Lazarus’ house.  They prepared a Supper (feast) and they ate. While they were yet reclining around the table, Mary washed Jesus feet.  Supper, being the last meal of the day, would come about, or after sun down, so when Mary washed Jesus’ feet it would have been on the 10 day of the month.  This is the day that the law said to set aside “the Passover Lamb” (symbol).

Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. John 12:7.

Jesus was that “literal” Lamb that the symbol had pointed to, slain from the foundation of the World; the Lamb of the plan of salvation.

The scripture says, on the next day (which would be the 11th), or the first day of the week according to when the Christian world celebrates the “Triumphal Entry” was the day that Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem. Now we have a day of the week, let’s see if this harmonizes with the Bible. Because the 11th is the first day of the week so is the 18th. This makes the 10th and the 17th both the seventh day, or Sabbath days.  Now we can see that Jesus ate the Passover with His Disciples on what we call Wednesday night, or in bible times the beginning of the 5th day or Thursday.  The Passover begins in the dark part of the day, (the evening and the morning was the creation time).  We reckon time from midnight to midnight, but Bible time is from even to even.

After eating the Passover Supper, they left the upper room about midnight and went to the Garden to pray.  While praying Jesus sweat great drops of blood (symbol).  When Israel left Egypt they were told to put the blood (symbol) on the door post.  This blood was a protective covering over the first born of that home to allow the death angel to pass over.  With the blood on This Door (Jesus said I am the Door), His first born is freed from death, “the wages of sin” (death angel).  If we accept this fact, we as first fruits, will be freed from death, “the wages of sin”.

Some time before daybreak, Jesus was taken by the mob.  All that day and the next night, He was taken from trial to trial with torture between. He was in the heart of the earth from the time the mob took Him till death could hold Him no longer.  On the preparation day, for the Seventh Day Sabbath in the Passover week, or the morrow after the Passover Sabbath (symbol) they put Him on the cross.  When He was lifted up on the cross He became the wave-sheaf for the earthly Sanctuary. (Leviticus 23:11).  This is why He said, “it is finished”.  Jesus, on the cross, became the “reality” of the types or symbols that had pointed to the death of the Messiah.

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.  Luke 24:27.

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.  Matthew 28:1.

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.  John 20:1.

Jesus, according to the law rested on the Sabbath (symbol of God’s rest). Some time before daybreak on the first day of the week the Angel rolled back the stone and called to Jesus.  Counting from the 15th daybreak to the 18th daybreak there are 72 hours or three days and three nights.  Because the Passover comes just following the Equinox, the day and the night have an equal number of hours.  Jesus said to Mary, “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my father.”    Jesus, on the morrow after the seventh day Sabbath, (literal time - the Passover week is typical time) was the wave sheaf in the Heavenly Sanctuary, not in the type, but in reality.  The Earthly sanctuary is the type or symbolic representation and the Heavenly Sanctuary is the literal.

It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  Hebrews 9:23.

         6 days before Passover

         6         9^th   Friday, or preparation day

         5       10^th   Saturday, or Sabbath

         4       11^th   Sunday, or First day

         3       12^th   Monday, or Second day

         2       13^th   Tuesday, or Third day

         1       14^th   Wednesday, or fourth day

Passover      15^th   Passover Sabbath or Thursday

                  16^th   Friday, or preparation day; the morrow                                after the Passover Sabbath

                  17^th   Saturday or Sabbath

                  18^th   Sunday, or First day; the morrow after                             the 7^th day Sabbath

Jesus was put on the cross at the time of the morning sacrifice (the third hour) and died at the time of the evening sacrifice (the ninth hour). These morning and evening sacrifices (symbolic) were the continual offering for unknown sins or sins of ignorance and kept the people clean. This is what Jesus took care of on the cross, for we still have to ask to have our sins forgiven.

For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, Hebrews 10:26.

When the spear was put into His side, two fountains (symbols) were opened, one for sin the other for uncleanness.  These two fountains are symbolic but what do they point to? The symbol is like a picture of a fountain of water.  We may go to that picture of water to wash our hands, but symbols can “never make the comers there unto perfect.”

For the law having a shadow (symbols) of good things to come, and not the very Image (literal) of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers there unto perfect.  Hebrews 10:1.

The time of the seven thunders is the time of learning who the symbols point to and how they work. Speaking of the two fountains that were opened for sin and uncleanness, we have some understanding about the blood, but what do we know about the water? What do we know about the fountain for uncleanness or who it represents?

In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.  Zachariah 13:1.

We know that the “wages of sin is death” and Jesus paid the penalty for sin by the shedding of His own blood.  What do we know about is the fountain for uncleanness?  We are told in the Mosaic Law that it takes the ashes (symbol) of the red heifer (symbol) combined with the running water of separation to do a ceremonially cleansing.  Jesus gave us an example of having an unclean mind when He taught that if we have hate in our heart we are a murderer.  Having an unclean mind has to do with the way we think.  Believing that symbols are enough will never complete Jesus’ work.  An unclean mind is not only thinking impure thoughts but believing you are all right when you are all wrong.  This deception, believing we are all right when we are all wrong, is the laodicean condition and can not be remedied by ones own self.  Just as in the case of the person who became ceremonially unclean needed the sprinkling of the water of separation applied by a clean person, a laodicean or a person with an unclean mind must have a remedy from outside himself, i.e., “through the eternal Spirit”.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  Hebrews 9:13-14.

Hebrews is not only telling us of Jesus’ work, but all the sacrifices that are a shadow.  Some of these sacrifices are brought to light in Leviticus 16.  In verse 6, The High Priest makes a offering for Himself and His House.  This offering we have never understood.  The offering for sin we have been teaching for nearly two thousand years, but now we have been given the understanding of the offering that the High Priest makes for Himself and His House.

WHO COMPRISES OUR HIGH PRIEST’S HOUSE?

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. John 14:26.  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me: John 15:26.

But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  John 7:39.

...but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 1 Corinthians 11:7-8.

But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and dies, it remains ALONE; (because it dies, it divides and becomes two halves of one; it takes two halves to make one whole. “A man - shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.” Genesis 2:24) but if it dies it produces much grain. (Harvest) John 12:23-24.

This He (Jesus) said, signifying by what death He should die.  John 12:33.

Here we see that in John 7 Jesus had not yet been glorified, but In John 12 the time had come.  In John 14:26 the comforter has the same name as Jesus.  He, in John 5:43 has the same name as His Father, the family name.  In John 20:22.  Jesus “breathed on His Disciples, and said to them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit.” Here we see that the death of Jesus caused Him not to be ALONE but to give to His Disciples His helpmeet. His helpmeet, another comforter, the Spirit, came on the Disciples. On the morrow after the Sabbath, (Leviticus 23:11) they became the wave sheaf for those living in Jesus day and those who received the Spirit in tongues of fire at Pentecost, were the first fruits.

The above quoted verses reveal that our High Priest has a house-His Helpmeet-His Glory. One with His name - the family name. And one who knows Him so well that she can testify of everything He has said. The promise of another comforter is a wonderful clue to explain who comprises Jesus’ house.

Jesus as our High Priest must have a vessel to take the blood into the Most Holy. He is that vessel.  In Hebrews it says that the Spirit offers Jesus blood, thus the Spirit also is the vessel.  In the type, Adam said, of his helpmeet “This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” Genesis 2:23.  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God...” Hebrews 9:14.  Paul in Romans 8:26 tells us that the Spirit ALSO makes intercession, this is what causes the woman of Galatians 4:27, to be the barren Woman.  The intercessors take on themselves the sins of the people.  By doing this, the Spirit, has the righteousness of man. The righteousness of man is filthy rags (menstrual rags), thus the intercessor, the Spirit, is barren until, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and their iniquities will I remember NO MORE.  Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin... By a new and living way ... that is His flesh... (His helpmate, another comforter, the Spirit that Jesus said gives birth).  Hebrews 10:16-20.  Why is this so important?  Because the LAW of the kinsman redeemer demands a righteous kinsman to bring forth the heir in the name of the dead to receive the inheritance that Satan usurped from Adam.

Symbols are good, but will never “make those who approach perfect”.  It will take becoming aware of what the symbols point to, before they can “make those who approach perfect”.  Even though it is Jesus’ work in our behalf that makes sinful man perfect, it is what was in Christ and knowing what the symbols point to that brings perfection.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.  Proverbs 4:18.

Some of the Symbols and their literal applications; which we have considered or alluded to in this letter are the following.  The Passover lamb versus Christ the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  Deliverance from the bondage of Egypt (worldliness) versus deliverance from the bondage of sin.  The lamb set apart on the tenth day versus Jesus being set apart by Mary as she anointed His head and feet.  The blood of the Passover lamb on the door post versus the blood on Jesus, “The Door”.  Old leaven or pollution versus sin and new leaven or unadulterated versus life (Holy Spirit).  Wave sheaf (morrow after the Passover Sabbath) versus Christ crucified (lifted up between heaven and earth).  Wave sheaf (morrow after the seventh day Sabbath) versus His ascension.  Entering the promised land (but not their rest) versus entering the kingdom of glory (their promised rest).  The Earthly Sanctuary versus the Heavenly Sanctuary.  The morning and evening sacrifice versus His sacrifice by crucifixion.  Adam, being divided male and female while in a deep sleep versus Jesus’ (the Second Adam’s) deep sleep in death.

In the outer court of the Sanctuary there were two pieces of furniture, the altar and the laver.  Both were engaged when the Priest ministered. (Exodus 30:18-20) These two, the altar and the laver, symbolize the two intercessors, Jesus and His Helpmeet (the second Eve, the one that gives birth) as do the two fountains that were opened with the spear in Jesus’ side. Because they are in the outer court they symbolize the work that the Messiah and His Helpmeet, do here on Earth. (Earth, symbolized by the outer court)

Yours to meet in the Kingdom of God

Athen Slawson