The Bones of Jesus : The Altar of God.
(A message of Jesus, dictated by The Holy Spirit)
(Written by Sandeep Vikash Hembrom )
What is an Altar? What is its significance? Why did people need an Altar to sacrifice?
Let's find all we need to know about an Altar and riveting facts, from The Bible, which establish "The Bones of Jesus" as the pivotal Altar for sacrifice for The Almighty Father. Learn how this "perfect Altar" was used to burn the "Perfect Sacrifice", the "Savour" of which birthed the name of our "Saviour" - JESUS.
Let’s begin with the first altar (after the Great Flood):
Here in Genesis 8:20-22, { Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. 21 The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of human beings, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. 22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
Noah’s Altar can appear from above as Golgotha (Place of a skull). We can call it Golgotha because when the water might have receded, the earth would have had been full of skeletons or “Skulls” because a skeleton (minus the skull) under water current breaks but the skull stays intact.
The Altars by Abram:
The first altar that was built by Abram (Abraham) was between Bethel and Ai. Bethel is the same place where two bears killed 42 boys after they mocked the Prophet Elisha (2 Kings 2:23).
Now we know that Bethel means “The house of God” (Genesis 28:19) and Jesus was accused of Blasphemy (an act of cursing God or the act of offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God).
And we see in 2 Kings 2:23 { From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy”} that 42 boys mocked Elisha. Why 42?
“42” - This number represents the duration of months Jesus spent on earth serving the purpose of God (till He was killed and rose again)
42 months=3 ½ years.
The second altar that was built by Abraham comprised of wood also (Genesis 22:7-9 { Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood}). Here we see Abraham placed wood on the altar and bound his son and laid him on the altar.
Now let’s discuss the altar built by Isaac:
Genesis 26: 17-33{ So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled. 18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them. 19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. 20 But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, a saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.” 23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well. 26 Meanwhile, Abimelek had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?” 28 They answered, “We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not harm you but always treated you well and sent you away peacefully. And now you are blessed by the LORD.” 30 Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they went away peacefully. 32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, “We’ve found water!” 33 He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.}.
Here we see before building the altar Isaac made “three well”.
The first well that he made he named it Esek (meaning quarrel).
The second well that he made he named it Sitnah (meaning opposition or satan, adversary, or the one who opposes).
The third well that he dug he named it Rehoboth (meaning: to be wide).
Rehoboth indicates the presence of more space or more room.
Now when he dug the fourth well after being blessed by God he built an altar and there called on the name of the Lord and he pitched a tent there and there his servants dug a well. Then the men – Abimelech, Ahuzzath and Phichol came to Isaac. They proposed to take an “oath” and make a covenant with Isaac and mentioned that now he was the blessed of the Lord. So they had a feast and they all ate and they drank. Then they arose early in the morning and swore an Oath with one another, and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
Here the first well (Esek) represents Moses (Who faced Quarrel).
The second well (Sitnah) represents David (Who faced two enemies).
The third well (Rehoboth) represents John the Baptist (In Isaiah 40:3 { A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God} Isaiah clearly mentions that he (John the Baptist) will be the one who cries out in the wilderness “Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness , make a straight highway for our God in the desert.” And we know that a highway is a broad “wide” road but Jesus tells us to take the narrow path Mathew 7:14 { But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it}).
The fourth well represents Jesus. Now let’s see how.
The fourth well was dug at Beershebah. The meaning of the word Beershebah is Beer – “Well” and Shebah – “Oath” or “Seven”; so Beershebah means “Well of an Oath” or “Well of Seven.”
Now the question here is why does the word Shebah have two meanings?
The word “Sheba” means Seven and since it is identical to the word “Shaba” which means to swear (an oath), “Shebah” also means an oath or a covenant.
A remarkable fact about Beershebah is that there are two principle wells and five smaller ones (seven well in total). It is nearly midway between the southern end of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean; But the well that we are talking about is just one well (the fourth well).
Shebah means seven and also an oath. Seven means an oath or we can say a covenant. Seven also represents completion. (God created all things in seven days.)
Here we can say that the fourth well represents a complete Covenant (when we read Hebrew 7:21 {but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'"}). Here we find that it has clearly been mentioned that it is only Jesus who has been made priest in the order of Melchizedek and others who were called according to the order of Aaron were Priests without an oath as mentioned in Hebrew 7:11 {Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?} and in Psalm 110:4 {The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."}
In Hebrew 7:12 {For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well} we also find that it has been mentioned that since priesthood changed, of necessity there was change of law also. Meaning to say that the Old Covenant (The Covenant of Salt) was weak and unprofitable because it made nothing perfect but on the other hand the New Covenant (The Covenant of Blood) made perfect of a Man and through the Covenant of Blood, the Son of Man transformed into the Son of God. (Jesus before resurrection said two things mentioned in two verses Matthew 5:48 {You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect} and Mark 10:18 {And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone}.) These were said by the Son of Man about the glory of the Son of God and Father Almighty.
Let us throw some more light to emphasize on the fact that Jesus is the fourth well.
Gerar:
1. Gerar means a “lodging place”.
2. The tomb of Jesus was this lodging place as he rested there a while and rose up again on the third day, just as He had said He would.
3. Gerar represents the Old Covenant with the three wells. (The three wells of Gerar were Esek (representing Moses), Sitnah (representing David) and Rehoboth (representing John the Baptist).)
Beershebah:
1. Beershebah means “Well of Seven” or “Well of an Oath” or we can say “The Well of Completion”.
2. Heaven can be compared to Beershebah if we consider the story of Isaac. Isaac can be considered as figurative representation of Jesus in Heaven. Heaven is the permanent resting place (The Throne) of Jesus (Isaiah 66:1 {Thus says the Lord: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?}) Just as Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega (The Beginning and the End), Isaac had his beginning and his end in Beershebah. Beershebah is the permanent resting place of Isaac.
3. The servants of Isaac dug a well (Genesis 26:25 {So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well}) but did not find water till (Genesis 26:32 {That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, "We have found water."}) just as they found Blood mixed with water when a soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a spear in John 19:34 {But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water}. The Blood that came out along with the water also declares the New Covenant – The Covenant of Blood. Just as Isaac named the fourth well Shebah, meaning Seven or Oath or Complete or we can say Finished, Jesus said on the cross, before giving up His Spirit, “It is finished.”
Now we see the altar of Jacob: -
Genesis 33:20 {“Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.”}
The word erect means:
1. Upright in the position and posture.
2. Raised or directed upward.
Now we see the altar of Moses.
Exodus 17:15-16 { Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”}
Banner is by definition a long strip of cloth bearing slogan or design; carried in a demonstration or procession or hung in a public place.
(Mathew 27:33-44 {{27:33} And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, {27:34} They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted [thereof,] he would not drink. {27:35} And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. {27:36} And sitting down they watched him there; {27:37} And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. {27:38} Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.{27:39} And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, {27:40} And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. {27:41} Likewise also the chief priests mocking [him,] with the scribes and elders, said, {27:42} He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. {27:43} He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. {27:44} The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth} (KJV). Here we see the similarity. Even though Golgotha was not a public place a huge multitude was present there. And they set up over His head an accusation letter or a BANNER saying” THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”)
Now on the alter they used to offer Meat and Drink Offerings.
Drink offerings:
Genesis 35:14-15 {Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.} (This shows that Jacob had made a pillar of stones.)
Numbers 28:7{Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord.}
Leviticus 2:11-16 { "No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the Lord. 12 As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. 14 "If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. 15 And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. 16 And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the Lord.}
Five kinds of Offerings in the Bible:
The Burnt Offering.
The Meat Offering.
The Peace Offering.
The Sin Offering.
The Trespass Offering.
How everything was fulfilled in Jesus Christ? (Let’s see.)
The body of Jesus can be divided into three parts:
Skeleton.
Blood.
Flesh.
Skeleton - In Exodus 20:25-26 { If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.'} God told not to use Chisel on the stones for if chisel was used, it would have defiled the stones of the altar.
We see in John 19:36 { For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken."} And that’s why no bone of Jesus was broken as it is mentioned in Psalm 34:20 { He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken} (Prophecy about Jesus) and we know that the Book of Psalm is filled with Prophecies about Jesus also, as mentioned in Luke 24:44 { Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."}
So here we come to the conclusion that the bones of Jesus are the Altar stones. And the whole skeleton forms the whole Altar.
Blood – In Mathew 26:27-28 { And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.} Jesus said that His blood is the Blood of the New Covenant which is shed for the remission of sins and that everyone should drink from it. In Genesis 35:14 { Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. } Jacob offered drink offering on a pillar of stones and offered oil on it. Here stones are the bones and the blood Jesus shed while he was being Chastised and while on the Cross, was the Drink offering.
Flesh – The details about the Flesh are mentioned later in the message.
Different types of items offered on the Altar: -
Flesh (Offering of Flesh) – Deuteronomy 12:27 { and offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the flesh you may eat.} (Reminds us of His death on the cross and of John 6:54)
Blood (Offering of Blood) - Deuteronomy 12:27 { and offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the flesh you may eat.} And Leviticus 17:11 { For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.} (Reminds us of Mathew 26:28 since atonement means satisfaction for a wrong)
Drink (Offering of Drink) – Number 15:5 { and you shall offer with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine for the drink offering for each lamb.} And 1 Chronicles 29:21 { And they offered sacrifices to the Lord, and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the Lord, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.} (Before being crucified the next day, Jesus along with His apostles celebrated the feast of Passover, where they ate and drank and sang hymns – and we must remember the “offering of drink” must be poured on the sacrifice which is on the Altar, and the Altar is “the bones of Jesus”)
Grain (Offering of Grain) – Leviticus 2:8 { And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.} and Leviticus 6:14 { "And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar.} (This reminds us of John 12:24)
Fruit (Offering of Fruit) – Leviticus 2:12 { As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the Lord, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma.} (This reminds us of the fruit of the tree of Life, which is Jesus, which Adam and Eve couldn’t eat. (The First Fruit))
Oil (Offering of Oil) – Genesis 28:18 {So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.} (Remember in John 12:3 what did Mary do {Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil – pure and expensive nard – anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair so the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.} According to Holman Christian Standard Bible )
Salt (Offering of Salt) – Leviticus 2:13 {You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.} (Several scientific researches show that all living being have Salt in their Blood – So when the Blood was offered the Salt was offered with it.)
Now let’s see the Flesh of Jesus, the third part of the Body.
Before we see how the Flesh of Jesus was burnt and became a burnt offering to God, we need to understand two things.
1. How is pottery made?
2. How is bread baked?
Let’s discuss how pottery is made first.
Clay comes from the ground usually in areas where streams or rivers once flowed. It is made from minerals, plant life and animals – all the ingredients of soil. Over time water pressure breaks up the remains of flora, fauna and minerals, pulverizing then into fine particles. Larger particles are filtered out through rocks and sand, leaving silt to settle into beds of clay. How far silt travels from its source and how pure the silt is determines the type of clay it becomes.
There are three types of clay and they are earthenware, stoneware and Kaolin.
Let’s concentrate on earthenware.
Earthenware or common clay contains many minerals such as iron oxide (also found in Blood) and in its raw state may contain sand and small bits of rock. Earthenware is secondary clay that has been transported by moving water some distance picking up minerals and other materials before settling in a river bed. Because of its many impurities earthenware melts at a cooler temperature than other clays. Called a low fire clay earthenware fires (or bakes) in a temperature range of (926 – 1150 Celsius).
After firing it, it is still porous and unless glazed – is often white or grey. Earthenware is commonly used in making terra cotta pots.
Around 5000 B.C. the potter’s wheel was invented (as believed by Historians). The potter’s wheel allows the potter to throw even symmetrical shapes in much less time and with far less effort. They are thought to have been in operation even before wheels were used for transportation.
In the Kiln: After a piece of pottery has been formed and dried completely it must be “fired or baked” to achieve permanency without the chemical transformation that occurs through firing, an uncooked (not baked) bowl dissolves back into mud once it come in contact with water( i.e. if it is filled with water).
Now let’s see how bread is baked?
Unleavened Bread
Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour.
2 table spoon olive oil.
½ cup water.
Idea for the recipe comes from 1 Kings 17:10-16 { So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel that I may drink." 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 And she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son that we may eat it and die." 13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.'" 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.}.
Combine the ingredients then put dough into floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes then roll out until about 1/8 inch thick. On either parchment paper or greased cookie sheet bake in preheated 176 Celsius over for 20 minutes.
Now that we have seen how a pot and bread is made let us discuss why were these mentioned.
Here in John 19:38-42 { Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there} we find that the burial of Jesus was done according to the custom of the Jews in those days. They took the body of Jesus and bound it in strips of Linen with the spices (mainly Myrrh and aloes).
Now let me take you 33 ½ years back when Jesus was born. Following the star, three wise men came to the place where the child was resting with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
Back to the burial part:
The Gold that the three wise men had presented represents the kind of burial that Jesus, the Son of God, would have: a rich man’s burial in a newly made tomb cut out of a large rock in which no one had ever been buried which only the upper class in those days could afford. So what about the Myrrh and Frankincense? We’ll see that. But a question still remains – Why mention the pot and bread making procedure. We’ll understand that too by the end of the message.
Now let’s concentrate on Myrrh and Frankincense –
What are Frankincense and Myrrh?
Both Frankincense and Myrrh are derived from the gummy sap that oozes out of the Boswellia and Commiphora trees respectively when their barks are cut. The leaking resin is allowed to harden and scraped of the trunk in tear shaped droplets; it may then be used in its dried form or steamed to yield essential oils. Both substances are edible and often chewed like gum. They are also extremely fragrant, particularly Frankincense giving off a sweet, citrusy scent and Myrrh producing a piney bitter odor. According to the Hebrew Bible, Frankincense and Myrrh were components of Holy Incense ritually burned in Jerusalem’s sacred Temples during sacred times.
Now after reading this let’s read Song of Songs 1:13 { My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.} What is this “sachet of myrrh “which is being talked about?
Let’s see this verse again - John 19:39 { He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.} This verse clearly shows that Jesus was bound in strips of linen and lots of Myrrh was used (about 75 pounds of Myrrh and aloes). So it was the body of Jesus that the Song of Songs 1:13 talks about as “a sachet of myrrh.”
So what do these Breasts represent (mentioned in Song of Songs 1:13)?
To understand what is the spiritual significance of the two breasts that are being spoken about in Song of Songs 1:13 { My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts} we need to read Song of Songs 4:16 { Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, let its spices flow. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.} Here the north wind and the south wind are summoned. Winds symbolize Angels and Spirits in the Bible. As we compare few translations like Holman Christian Standard Bible, New Living Translation and King James Version while reading Hebrew 1:7 { Of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire."} we find that God makes Angels winds and we find two Angels or two winds in the tomb as we relate Song of Songs 1:13 {My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts} and John 20:12 {And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.}
Let’s see how we established that they are the North and South wind (more evidence).
Before making the cross erect with Jesus nailed to it, the cross was laid down and nails were pierced through the hands and feet of Jesus. If viewed from above, the cross laid down would have appeared as a “compass rose” that appears on a paper map.
When we look at the modern compass rose, we see that top is north and the bottom south or we can say that the Head is North and the Feet is South. In Song of Songs 4:16, the North and the South winds are summoned and where do they (Angels) sit: one at the head and the other at the feet (John 20:12.) And according to Song of Songs 1:13 a bundle of myrrh (Body of Jesus) lay between the breasts (The Angels).
Now when we read Song of Songs 3:6 {What is that coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?} It is mentioned here that there is someone who is coming out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with Myrrh and Frankincense.
Through John 19:39 { He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.} we came to know that the burial process of the Body of Jesus involved mixture of Myrrh and aloes.
Through Psalm 45:8 {your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad} we learn that the robes of Our Lord are fragrant with Myrrh and aloes and cassia.
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| Frankincense |
Through Proverb 7:17-23 {I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; 20 he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home." 21 With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. 22 All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast 23 till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.} we learn that satan had perfumed the bed with Myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. And here satan calls the Body of Jesus and tells Him to stay till morning. (In Proverb 7:23 mentions how the Body of Jesus was pierced on the cross.)
Now coming back to Song of Songs 3:6 {What is that coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the fragrant powders of a merchant?} we see that it is written that there is someone coming out of the wilderness, which takes us back to Isaiah 40:3, where he mentions that a voice of one is calling to make straight in the wilderness a highway for Our God. So it is God (Jesus) who is coming out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with Myrrh and Frankincense.
So why did I mention making of Pot and Bread earlier? We’ll see now.
The Tomb is like a Kiln (almost the same shape even), with very high temperatures inside if kept closed for days. The method through which the “Flesh of Jesus” would have had become pleasing in the sight of God and palatable for The Almighty, must be through the process of “Slow Cooking” because of the high temperatures in the Tomb. This could be the physical interpretation of the observation but what about the spiritual interpretation. We all know that during those three days (Death to Resurrection) Jesus went to hell also to preach. (1 Peter 3:18-22 { For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 In that state he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.}) If this water that killed the lawless and saved the Righteous eight on the boat symbolizes baptism, then the Fire and Holy Spirit through which Jesus baptizes and saves us is the same Fire that burnt His Flesh in the tomb. And this is the same Fire that punishes the evil people in hell. Remember what John the Baptist had said in Luke 3:16 { John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.} If the baptism given by John the Baptist was symbolic of the water baptism in the time of Noah then what is symbolic of the baptism by the Promised One, the one who was prophesied to Baptize with Fire and Holy Spirit – IT WAS THE BAPTISM IN THE TOMB; BY FIRE AND BY HOLY SPIRIT. This was the first Baptism by Fire.
It is this Fire that burns our sins and it is this Holy Spirit that transforms us. Blemish free and blameless we stand in front of Our Almighty Father, washed with the Blood of Our Savior Jesus Christ.
As we can see that The Holy Spirit plays two roles just as the flood water in the time of Noah. We know that The Holy Spirit provides with Wisdom and Knowledge as mentioned in Isaiah 11:2 { The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD.} We also know that Knowledge comes from the mouth of The Lord, from Proverb 2:6 { For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.} Now let’s see a verse from Revelation 1:16 { In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.} This is the description of Jesus as John saw it. Here he describes that a sharp, double-edged sword comes out of the mouth of Jesus. And Proverb 2:6 says that knowledge and understanding comes out of the mouth of The Lord. So this proves that The Holy Spirit is this sharp, double-edged sword. So what does this sharp, double-edged sword symbolize? To understand this let’s go back to Genesis - To the Garden of Eden. Here in Genesis 2:9 { The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.} So the first mention of the word “knowledge” comes from a place where it has been placed on a tree as a fruit. It is the “fruit of the Knowledge of good and evil” just as the sharp, double-edged sword. Now COMPARE. Knowledge with two faces (opposite to each other) and Sword with two sharp sides (opposite to each other).
Now let’s understand Myrrh better.
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| Myrrh |
Let’s go to the part where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Here in John 11:39 { “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”} Martha says to the Lord that there would be “a bad odor”. “Bad Odor” What, why?
Had he not been buried according to proper Hebrew rituals? Yes he would have had, so then why mention the odor of a closed grave as “Bad”? Because it’s true; to the human nose that odor would definitely smell bad, but not to God. Remember the Noah had offered the first sacrifice on the first altar. He offered clean animals and clean birds. Clean animals represent here the Spotless Body of Jesus and clean birds represent the Spotless Spirit of Jesus. And this Spirit bore a name on itself. It was “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” as mentioned also in Song of Songs 2:4 {He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love}. What proves it? The prophecy that foretold about a Messiah in Jeremiah 23:5-6 {"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.'} We know by 1 Corinthians 1:30 {And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption}, Romans 3:21-26 {But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it--22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus} and 2 Corinthians 5:21 {For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.} that Jesus is that promised Messiah and that “He is our righteousness” and as He is the King of the Jews (as mentioned on the written charge), He becomes “The Lord of Our Righteousness.”
As mentioned earlier, when Noah offered his offerings and God smelled a pleasing aroma and made a covenant there. Likewise, the Flesh of Jesus, when it was in the tomb, was baked and was burned (metaphorically speaking) and God smelt a soothing aroma. And through the Death and Rising of Jesus, God made a covenant with the people of this world that He would see our sins no more because we have been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7{But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.}).
Myrrh is the Body of Jesus and Frankincense is the Spirit of Jesus which bears the name “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” or we can say “The Lord of Our Righteousness” or we can say as the olden Jewish people used to say that the Messiah would be their “Salvation” or we can say “Yeshua or Jesus (English)” which means “Salvation”.
In the end I would just like to add two small verses from the Bible:
Leviticus 6:15 {And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.}
And
John 12:24 {Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.}
My contact e-mail id: sandeep.vikash.hembrom@gmail.com
Verses have been taken from four Bibles:
King James Version.
Today’s New International Version.
English Standard Version.
Holman Christian Standard Bible.
