Continuing our line of reasoning from our last blog post we will examine how the spoken word of God (creation/nature) subtly but perfectly mirrors the written word of God (the Bible). We have seen how nature and scripture confirm the mathematical identification of death with the number 6 and eternal life with the number 8, initially observed in the two elements of nature serving for icons of each life status: carbon and oxygen. The very mathematical symbol for infinity is a number 8 on its side. Any Middle School pre-teen knows that. Let’s drill deeper into this surface observation that seems to escape the attention of the multitude of wise-in-their-own-eyes of our world who sneer at the Bible’s authority.
The written word of God (Bible) declares the only path from death to life, from curse to blessing to be the appointed savior of mankind: Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that the Creator’s original plan for a perfect creation will be achieved… not simply for mankind but for every feature of creation. We noted in our last post that the Greek name of Jesus, as used repeatedly in the original divinely inspired New Testament writings offers six Greek letters that numerically add up to 888 (: Iota=10; eta=8; sigma=200; omicron=70; upsilon=400 and sigma=200… 888). Jesus is the appointed bridge between heaven and earth. He is the path from death to life and from curse to blessing… numerically and creationally expressed as being from six to eight.
The identification of our Messiah, our King, the son of promise and the savior of the world with the number 8 is consistent all through the written word of God. The covenant of faith made with Abraham was sealed by the ritual of circumcision, the cutting off of man’s crown of flesh on the 8th day (Genesis 17). This is symbolic of how the man of eights (Jesus) would defeat the ‘flesh’ completely upon his victory on the cross. Noah’s ark of salvation saved exactly 8 people when the waters placed above the firmament (Genesis 1:6-8) at the beginning of creation collapsed upon earth over 40 days. Noah was accompanied by his 3 sons, his wife and 3 daughter-in-laws, making a total of 8 when mankind was saved from the flood… offering a prophetic snapshot of Christ’s savior status. Under the laws of the original Kingdom of God as given to Moses upon Mt Sinai, a sacrificial animal was acceptable to God upon the 8th day of its life, but not before (Leviticus 2:27). This reflects the sacrificial status of Jesus, the man of eights. Jesus has been promised the royal throne of his ancestor, David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Luke 1:31-33). Maintaining this pattern, David was the 8th son of his father Jesse (1 Samuel 17:12-14).
However we can also see both the 6 and the 8 features of our Messiah, King, and Savior in more places than just the letters of his name. In the heaven and earth covenant between Abram and God recorded in Genesis 15 we see two sets of animals being offered in two parallel lines. Three earth-bound animals with their total of 12 legs are severed, making six halves. Two birds (the fowl of heaven, rising above the earth by climbing and riding the air & winds) are left whole. They are placed in two lines of four (like the 4 men and 4 women on the ark that saved mankind during the flood). The six halved animals with their 12 foundational legs represent the community of the faithful under the curse of death and often identified by the number 12 (the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles of Christ). The two fowl of heaven represent the heavenly party in this covenant. There are a total of 8 components: six halves and two whole animals. Jesus is the bridge between heaven and earth. This is a mirror pattern to the 6 Greek letters in the name of Jesus that add up to 888 and the two creational elements that represent mortal life (carbon-6) and immortal life (oxygen-8). Jesus is the path from 6 to 8, from death to life, from curse to blessing and from carbon to oxygen.
The holiest article in the divine configuration of the body of believers (from the time of Moses until the Jerusalem temple was destroyed by the Romans) was the golden Ark of the Covenant. Anyone touching this Ark during transport other than the appointed Levites would be executed, by divine command (Leviticus 1:51). The High Priest was the only person allowed to enter the Most Holy chamber of the Ark without dying. He could only enter three times on one day each year, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The divinely required construction of this Ark was that of a box, with six connected surfaces at eight points of convergence. The only time this ark ever saw use was the annual Day of Atonement, reflecting the role of Jesus Christ in our atonement, whose New Testament Greek name had 6 letters adding up to 888.
We have barely nicked the surface of this consideration in how the features of creation (spoken word of God) perfectly parallel the features of the Bible (written word of God). The Apostle Paul declares that no one on earth escapes any divinely imposed guilt on the basis of ignorance due to this very issue we are considering… how the features of creation declare the Creator and His plan. Paul tells the believers in Rome: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:18-20). We can learn about God and His principles from the features of creation…. the things that have been made. No defensively sputtered excuses of ignorance will be accommodated. Nature itself declares the glory and the truths about our Creator. Are we listening?
In our next post we will look at how the very foundation of our universe, scientifically defined, perfectly parallels the divine designed dimensions of the Kingdom of God recorded in the Bible.