SECOND REASON:
THE ATONING BLOOD OF CHRIST LIES AT THE HEART OF THE WHOLE BIBLICAL REVELATION
THE ATONING BLOOD OF CHRIST LIES AT THE HEART OF THE WHOLE BIBLICAL REVELATION
Space would not permit us to enlarge upon the irrefutable fact that the Bible Revelation is a crimson revelation, crimsoned by the Atoning Blood of Christ either symbolically, prophetically or specifically.
We can but glance at the first and last books of the whole sublime volume, Genesis and Revelation. In Genesis we have the genesis of blood in sacrificial atonement. Three men, Adam, Noah and Abraham, step on to the page of inspired history in this book. These men are representative men and federal heads of their own particular seeds. Adam is the Father of the race. Noah is the Father of the New World. Abraham is the Father of the Faithful. Each of these historical persons marked a particular epoch in sacred history, each received a particular promise and was favoured by a particular sign. In Adam the race was jeopardized by the Fall. In Noah the race was judged by the Flood. In Abraham the race was justified by Faith.
Adam
The Fall was the great epoch in Adam's life. The promise immediately after the Fall in Genesis 3:15 has been rightly called the first gospel. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The bruising here spoken of necessitates the bleeding, and so the Redeemer's Blood lies at the heart of the first gospel. The sign to Adam was the cherubim with flaming sword beyond which lay the tree of life. The cherubim in scripture are always related to the mercy seat, and symbolise the mercy of God; the flaming swords symbolise the justice of God, and both in Adam's sign stand before the tree of life. Thus we have anticipated the great meeting of the justice and mercy of God in the Bloodstream from the Cross of Christ.
To approach the tree of life meant death from the flaming sword which "kept the way." That flaming sword was plunged into the bosom of Christ and its flames were eternally quenched for the people of God by the precious blood. Through His death Christ has "opened the way." The sword of the king has a two-fold purpose. It can smite in justice or elevate in grace. The flaming sword which once would have run us through in wrath, now quenched in the blood of the Lamb, elevates us in grace. By a touch of this Bloodstained sword sinners arise sons of God. Through the Atoning Blood of Christ God is just, yet the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
Adam's sign has an eternal manifestation. In the actual heavens the cherubim cover the mercy seat, the symbols of the Mosaic Tabernacle being "figures of the true." "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" Hebrews 9:24. In heaven, as in the Tabernacle's Holiest of All, there is no flaming sword because the mercy seat is sprinkled by the blood. The tree of life in this eternal setting is free to all. "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse." Revelation 22:2, 3.
Noah
The Flood was the great epoch in Noah's life. Immediately after the flood God entered into a covenant with Noah and in that covenant gave him the great promise of preservation. The covenant is recorded in Genesis 9:9-11. "And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth." In the final verses of the previous chapter the reason for the covenant is given. "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:20-22.
The bloodshedding was the basis of the blessing. The altar of sacrifice alone averted the further judgment of God. The curse is not repeated for its fury is quenched in the bloodstream of the burnt offerings. This bloodstream of Noah's altar was but a type of the greater Bloodstream from the Cross of Christ.
We can but glance at the first and last books of the whole sublime volume, Genesis and Revelation. In Genesis we have the genesis of blood in sacrificial atonement. Three men, Adam, Noah and Abraham, step on to the page of inspired history in this book. These men are representative men and federal heads of their own particular seeds. Adam is the Father of the race. Noah is the Father of the New World. Abraham is the Father of the Faithful. Each of these historical persons marked a particular epoch in sacred history, each received a particular promise and was favoured by a particular sign. In Adam the race was jeopardized by the Fall. In Noah the race was judged by the Flood. In Abraham the race was justified by Faith.
Adam
The Fall was the great epoch in Adam's life. The promise immediately after the Fall in Genesis 3:15 has been rightly called the first gospel. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." The bruising here spoken of necessitates the bleeding, and so the Redeemer's Blood lies at the heart of the first gospel. The sign to Adam was the cherubim with flaming sword beyond which lay the tree of life. The cherubim in scripture are always related to the mercy seat, and symbolise the mercy of God; the flaming swords symbolise the justice of God, and both in Adam's sign stand before the tree of life. Thus we have anticipated the great meeting of the justice and mercy of God in the Bloodstream from the Cross of Christ.
To approach the tree of life meant death from the flaming sword which "kept the way." That flaming sword was plunged into the bosom of Christ and its flames were eternally quenched for the people of God by the precious blood. Through His death Christ has "opened the way." The sword of the king has a two-fold purpose. It can smite in justice or elevate in grace. The flaming sword which once would have run us through in wrath, now quenched in the blood of the Lamb, elevates us in grace. By a touch of this Bloodstained sword sinners arise sons of God. Through the Atoning Blood of Christ God is just, yet the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
Adam's sign has an eternal manifestation. In the actual heavens the cherubim cover the mercy seat, the symbols of the Mosaic Tabernacle being "figures of the true." "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" Hebrews 9:24. In heaven, as in the Tabernacle's Holiest of All, there is no flaming sword because the mercy seat is sprinkled by the blood. The tree of life in this eternal setting is free to all. "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse." Revelation 22:2, 3.
Noah
The Flood was the great epoch in Noah's life. Immediately after the flood God entered into a covenant with Noah and in that covenant gave him the great promise of preservation. The covenant is recorded in Genesis 9:9-11. "And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth." In the final verses of the previous chapter the reason for the covenant is given. "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:20-22.
The bloodshedding was the basis of the blessing. The altar of sacrifice alone averted the further judgment of God. The curse is not repeated for its fury is quenched in the bloodstream of the burnt offerings. This bloodstream of Noah's altar was but a type of the greater Bloodstream from the Cross of Christ.
From whence this fear and unbelief?
Hath not the Father put to grief
His spotless Son for me?
And will the righteous Judge of men
Condemn me for that debt of sin
Which, Lord! was charged on Thee?
Complete atonement thou hast made,
And to the utmost farthing paid,
Whate'er Thy people owed;
How then can wrath on me take place,
If sheltered in Thy righteousness,
And sprinkled with Thy blood?
If Thou hast my discharge procured,
And freely in my room, endured
The whole of wrath Divine;
Payment cannot twice demand---
First, at my bleeding surety's hand,
And then again at mine.
Turn then, my soul, unto thy rest!
The merits of thy great High Priest
Have bought thy liberty;
Trust in His efficacious blood,
Nor fear thy banishment from God,
Since Jesus died for thee.
Hath not the Father put to grief
His spotless Son for me?
And will the righteous Judge of men
Condemn me for that debt of sin
Which, Lord! was charged on Thee?
Complete atonement thou hast made,
And to the utmost farthing paid,
Whate'er Thy people owed;
How then can wrath on me take place,
If sheltered in Thy righteousness,
And sprinkled with Thy blood?
If Thou hast my discharge procured,
And freely in my room, endured
The whole of wrath Divine;
Payment cannot twice demand---
First, at my bleeding surety's hand,
And then again at mine.
Turn then, my soul, unto thy rest!
The merits of thy great High Priest
Have bought thy liberty;
Trust in His efficacious blood,
Nor fear thy banishment from God,
Since Jesus died for thee.
The sanctity of the blood is also emphasized to Noah and his family. "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Genesis 9:4-6.
God's distinct command concerning the sacredness of the blood is repeated to all people of all ages. All peoples of all ages can be summed up under three Biblical designations.
1. Without the Law. "For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law." Romans 2:12.
2. Under the Law. "The law was given by Moses." John 1:17. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law," Romans 3:19.
3. Under Grace. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:17. "For ye are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:14.
Now to Noah the representative of those without the law God commanded,"Flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat," Genesis 9:4.
To Moses the representative of those under the law God commanded, "Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people." Leviticus 7:26, 27.
To the apostles the representatives of those under grace God commanded, "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well," (Acts 15:28, 29).
This is the unalterable law of the immutable God. Men are in no wise, whether without the law, under law or under grace, to eat blood. Human life which resulted from the impact of God's breath upon Adam's nostrils is not in the flesh and bones, but in the blood. The life of the flesh is in the blood and that life in man, the result not of God's creating but of God's breathing, is sacred.
God in His infinite condescension chose that animal blood should be used in sacrifice until the coming of the great sacrifice for sin. It's only divinely permitted use was as a sacrificial offering and to put it to any other use was to violate the direct command of the Eternal and thus to sacrilegiously destroy it as a type of the precious Blood of the Lamb of God. As a type it was sacred, for it typified the most sacred thing God ever produced, the precious, supernatural, divine and incorruptible Blood of Christ.
The sign to Noah was the bow in the cloud. "And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth." Genesis 9:12-17.
We have in Noah's sign a parallel to Adam's. In both, mercy and justice symbolically intermingle. The colours of the rainbow are seven. The three upper colours are red, orange and yellow. These colours are all indicated by different degrees of heat and can be seen in any fire. The lower colours are blue, purple and indigo. These are royal and heavenly colours. The central colour is green which is brought about by the intermingling of the blue and the yellow. The symbolism is plain. The fiery colours -- red, orange and yellow -- typify God's justice, and the heavenly colours -- blue, purple and indigo -- God's mercy. Green, resulting from the intermingling of the justice colours and the mercy colours, symbolises salvation accomplished when "Mercy and Truth met together and Righteousness and Peace kissed each other" at the Cross.
When we turn to the last book of the Bible we come across the rainbow again. Of the throne of the eternal God we read, "There was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Revelation 4:3. In this bow the central colour, green, has overspread the whole. Here a perfected salvation is manifested and it is significant that the seats of the twenty-four elders, twelve representative of the Old Testament saints and twelve representative of the New Testament saints, are said to be in the same position as the rainbow, "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." Revelation 4:4. They sit in the glory of the rainbow of a complete salvation. Only on redemption ground dare they occupy such an exalted position. Only through the everlasting covenant of grace can they come to such a place. Through the Blood alone in which justice and mercy embrace they wear their white robes and golden crowns. In this rainbow the other colours are lost in the one all-pervading emerald green, for in salvation the attributes of God find their fullest and final harmony. In the blood of Christ the operations of the divine attributes are blended in glorious solution, a solution which solves the great question of sin.
Of the harmony of the divine attributes displayed in the blood, Ralph Erskine, the old Presbyterian seceder quaintly said:
"Mercy cannot be vented without blood; Truth cannot be cleared without blood; Righteousness cannot be vindicated without blood; and Peace cannot be purchased without blood; 'Without shedding of blood there is no remission'; no mercy to be vented, no peace to be proclaimed; 'Christ hath made peace by the blood of the cross,' Col. 1:20. 'A bloody husband hast thou been unto me,' said Zipporah; but O how much more may Christ say, A bloody meeting hath this been unto me! 'Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozra?' Isaiah 63:1. Why, what is the matter that his garment is dyed with blood? Why? When Mercy and Truth meet together they pressed to be so near one another in him, that they pressed the blood out of his veins; and so it was a bloody meeting; And when Righteousness and Peace kissed each other, it behoved to be in Christ, and so the sword of justice behoved to pierce him through and through; that so these sacred lips might meet and kiss each other in his heart; and so it was a bloody kiss; They kissed each other with such good-will, that Christ was, as it were, bruised betwixt their lips, that the blood might cement and glue them together. One would think, such a bloody kiss would be no pleasant kiss; nay, but, 'It pleased the Father to bruise him': They met together on a sea of blood. -- Thus it was a bloody meeting."
Green is also the colour which symbolises perpetuity, the evergreen."The fashion of this world passeth away" -- "But the word of the Lord endureth forever." 1 Corinthians 7:31; 1 Peter 1:25. Salvation is eternal, it never withers or decays. It is the timeless salvation of the Great I AM.
The rainbow as viewed by the Apostle John was a complete circle. Now the rainbow is in reality a complete circle and can be seen as such "if the eye of the observer is in an elevated situation and the sun at a low altitude. The complete circle can often be seen therefore on elevated ground or from an aeroplane. On favourable occasions both primary and secondary bows have been observed as complete circles."
As Noah viewed the rainbow from Mount Ararat which is 16,696 ft. above sea level, he must have viewed it as a complete circle. Just as in the first book of the Bible the rainbow circle, speaking of justice meeting mercy was displayed, so in the last book of the Bible the rainbow circle again appears but now it is all of green, for salvation is perfected. The full circle symbolises eternity for it never ends. Thus the token to Noah has its eternal manifestation in the emerald circle round about the throne. This, none other than a further symbol of expiation by blood shedding, has, like Adam's sign its fullest manifestation in eternal glory.
Abraham
The Call was the great epoch in Abraham's life. "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." Genesis 12:1. The call was accompanied by a covenant of grace. This covenant of pure grace is stamped with perfection's number, seven. Its promise is sevenfold.
1. "I will make thee a great nation."
2. "I will bless thee."
3. "And make thy name great."
4. "And thou shalt be a blessing."
5. "And I will bless them that bless thee."
6. "And curse him that curseth thee."
7. "And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
Three, the divine number, is also manifested in the three great "I will's." Grace is sovereign grace, the sole prerogative of the Triune God.
The promise to Abraham was the promise of a glorious seed, but before Isaac was begotten, God gave Abraham a sign. The sign was two-fold, the change of name and the token of circumcision. "As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." Genesis 17:4, 5. "And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant." Genesis 17:11-13.
Again, this sign is paralleled to those of Adam and Noah. The change of the name is an evidence of the grace of God. Seven, the perfect number, is four plus three. Four terminates the first part, and five opens up the second part. Therefore five is four plus one. One is the number of the Creator and four is the number of the world. Five speaks of Divine government. As God governs the world in might and mercy, five is the number of grace and power. When God blessed Abram He took the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet He, which equals five, and put it into Abram's name which is spelt with four Hebrew letters, thus changing it to Abraham which is spelt with five Hebrew letters. in this way the token of grace was given with the blessing of grace.
Circumcision was a type of the justice of God. It involved severe pain with the shedding of blood and the cutting off of the foreskin. (See Genesis 34:25) "And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males". Even in circumcision, however, mercy is manifested. By right the whole man should be smitten, but instead the foreskin is cut off and the flowing of blood stops any further smiting. "And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision." Exodus 4:24-26.
Abraham's sign has also an eternal manifestation. Christ was circumcised in order to fulfill all righteousness. "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb." Luke 2:21. In Galatians we read: "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." Galatians 5:3. Now, Christ has absolutely kept the whole law impeccably, and justice is completely satisfied with His perfect obedience. In this connection it is interesting to note that by the shedding of blood at His Cross, Christ voluntarily on our behalf paid the debt of the whole law. Ferrar superbly comments:
"As the East catches at sunset the colours of the west, so Bethlehem is a prelude to Calvary and even the Infant's cradle is tinged with a crimson reflection from the Redeemer's Cross."
The eternal manifestation of Abraham's sign as with the others is an emphasis upon the grace of God. Abraham's name was the token of grace. Of Christ we read: "And he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." (Revelation 19:12-13).
Now, the Greek for "word" is logos, having five letters. Its numerical emphasis, like Abraham, is grace.
So we find that these three early signs have their final expression in eternity. There the symbol of justice is lost in the symbol of mercy because of the Blood of the Cross. The cherubim have no flaming sword because the Blood is sprinkled on the mercy-seat. The rainbow round about the throne is an emerald and has no judgment colours because, "Lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain," Revelation 5:6.
The Name stands alone in isolation from the circumcision because He who bears it has "a vesture dipped in blood." In heaven, because of the precious Blood of Jesus, Mercy rejoiceth against Justice and Sovereign Grace reigns supreme. The emphasis on the Blood is carried all through the Bible. Each book unfolds a little more of what Genesis first records and Revelation finalises all that has gone before.
God's distinct command concerning the sacredness of the blood is repeated to all people of all ages. All peoples of all ages can be summed up under three Biblical designations.
1. Without the Law. "For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law." Romans 2:12.
2. Under the Law. "The law was given by Moses." John 1:17. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law," Romans 3:19.
3. Under Grace. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:17. "For ye are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:14.
Now to Noah the representative of those without the law God commanded,"Flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat," Genesis 9:4.
To Moses the representative of those under the law God commanded, "Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people." Leviticus 7:26, 27.
To the apostles the representatives of those under grace God commanded, "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well," (Acts 15:28, 29).
This is the unalterable law of the immutable God. Men are in no wise, whether without the law, under law or under grace, to eat blood. Human life which resulted from the impact of God's breath upon Adam's nostrils is not in the flesh and bones, but in the blood. The life of the flesh is in the blood and that life in man, the result not of God's creating but of God's breathing, is sacred.
God in His infinite condescension chose that animal blood should be used in sacrifice until the coming of the great sacrifice for sin. It's only divinely permitted use was as a sacrificial offering and to put it to any other use was to violate the direct command of the Eternal and thus to sacrilegiously destroy it as a type of the precious Blood of the Lamb of God. As a type it was sacred, for it typified the most sacred thing God ever produced, the precious, supernatural, divine and incorruptible Blood of Christ.
The sign to Noah was the bow in the cloud. "And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth." Genesis 9:12-17.
We have in Noah's sign a parallel to Adam's. In both, mercy and justice symbolically intermingle. The colours of the rainbow are seven. The three upper colours are red, orange and yellow. These colours are all indicated by different degrees of heat and can be seen in any fire. The lower colours are blue, purple and indigo. These are royal and heavenly colours. The central colour is green which is brought about by the intermingling of the blue and the yellow. The symbolism is plain. The fiery colours -- red, orange and yellow -- typify God's justice, and the heavenly colours -- blue, purple and indigo -- God's mercy. Green, resulting from the intermingling of the justice colours and the mercy colours, symbolises salvation accomplished when "Mercy and Truth met together and Righteousness and Peace kissed each other" at the Cross.
When we turn to the last book of the Bible we come across the rainbow again. Of the throne of the eternal God we read, "There was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Revelation 4:3. In this bow the central colour, green, has overspread the whole. Here a perfected salvation is manifested and it is significant that the seats of the twenty-four elders, twelve representative of the Old Testament saints and twelve representative of the New Testament saints, are said to be in the same position as the rainbow, "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." Revelation 4:4. They sit in the glory of the rainbow of a complete salvation. Only on redemption ground dare they occupy such an exalted position. Only through the everlasting covenant of grace can they come to such a place. Through the Blood alone in which justice and mercy embrace they wear their white robes and golden crowns. In this rainbow the other colours are lost in the one all-pervading emerald green, for in salvation the attributes of God find their fullest and final harmony. In the blood of Christ the operations of the divine attributes are blended in glorious solution, a solution which solves the great question of sin.
Of the harmony of the divine attributes displayed in the blood, Ralph Erskine, the old Presbyterian seceder quaintly said:
"Mercy cannot be vented without blood; Truth cannot be cleared without blood; Righteousness cannot be vindicated without blood; and Peace cannot be purchased without blood; 'Without shedding of blood there is no remission'; no mercy to be vented, no peace to be proclaimed; 'Christ hath made peace by the blood of the cross,' Col. 1:20. 'A bloody husband hast thou been unto me,' said Zipporah; but O how much more may Christ say, A bloody meeting hath this been unto me! 'Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozra?' Isaiah 63:1. Why, what is the matter that his garment is dyed with blood? Why? When Mercy and Truth meet together they pressed to be so near one another in him, that they pressed the blood out of his veins; and so it was a bloody meeting; And when Righteousness and Peace kissed each other, it behoved to be in Christ, and so the sword of justice behoved to pierce him through and through; that so these sacred lips might meet and kiss each other in his heart; and so it was a bloody kiss; They kissed each other with such good-will, that Christ was, as it were, bruised betwixt their lips, that the blood might cement and glue them together. One would think, such a bloody kiss would be no pleasant kiss; nay, but, 'It pleased the Father to bruise him': They met together on a sea of blood. -- Thus it was a bloody meeting."
Green is also the colour which symbolises perpetuity, the evergreen."The fashion of this world passeth away" -- "But the word of the Lord endureth forever." 1 Corinthians 7:31; 1 Peter 1:25. Salvation is eternal, it never withers or decays. It is the timeless salvation of the Great I AM.
The rainbow as viewed by the Apostle John was a complete circle. Now the rainbow is in reality a complete circle and can be seen as such "if the eye of the observer is in an elevated situation and the sun at a low altitude. The complete circle can often be seen therefore on elevated ground or from an aeroplane. On favourable occasions both primary and secondary bows have been observed as complete circles."
As Noah viewed the rainbow from Mount Ararat which is 16,696 ft. above sea level, he must have viewed it as a complete circle. Just as in the first book of the Bible the rainbow circle, speaking of justice meeting mercy was displayed, so in the last book of the Bible the rainbow circle again appears but now it is all of green, for salvation is perfected. The full circle symbolises eternity for it never ends. Thus the token to Noah has its eternal manifestation in the emerald circle round about the throne. This, none other than a further symbol of expiation by blood shedding, has, like Adam's sign its fullest manifestation in eternal glory.
Abraham
The Call was the great epoch in Abraham's life. "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee." Genesis 12:1. The call was accompanied by a covenant of grace. This covenant of pure grace is stamped with perfection's number, seven. Its promise is sevenfold.
1. "I will make thee a great nation."
2. "I will bless thee."
3. "And make thy name great."
4. "And thou shalt be a blessing."
5. "And I will bless them that bless thee."
6. "And curse him that curseth thee."
7. "And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
Three, the divine number, is also manifested in the three great "I will's." Grace is sovereign grace, the sole prerogative of the Triune God.
The promise to Abraham was the promise of a glorious seed, but before Isaac was begotten, God gave Abraham a sign. The sign was two-fold, the change of name and the token of circumcision. "As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." Genesis 17:4, 5. "And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant." Genesis 17:11-13.
Again, this sign is paralleled to those of Adam and Noah. The change of the name is an evidence of the grace of God. Seven, the perfect number, is four plus three. Four terminates the first part, and five opens up the second part. Therefore five is four plus one. One is the number of the Creator and four is the number of the world. Five speaks of Divine government. As God governs the world in might and mercy, five is the number of grace and power. When God blessed Abram He took the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet He, which equals five, and put it into Abram's name which is spelt with four Hebrew letters, thus changing it to Abraham which is spelt with five Hebrew letters. in this way the token of grace was given with the blessing of grace.
Circumcision was a type of the justice of God. It involved severe pain with the shedding of blood and the cutting off of the foreskin. (See Genesis 34:25) "And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males". Even in circumcision, however, mercy is manifested. By right the whole man should be smitten, but instead the foreskin is cut off and the flowing of blood stops any further smiting. "And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision." Exodus 4:24-26.
Abraham's sign has also an eternal manifestation. Christ was circumcised in order to fulfill all righteousness. "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb." Luke 2:21. In Galatians we read: "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." Galatians 5:3. Now, Christ has absolutely kept the whole law impeccably, and justice is completely satisfied with His perfect obedience. In this connection it is interesting to note that by the shedding of blood at His Cross, Christ voluntarily on our behalf paid the debt of the whole law. Ferrar superbly comments:
"As the East catches at sunset the colours of the west, so Bethlehem is a prelude to Calvary and even the Infant's cradle is tinged with a crimson reflection from the Redeemer's Cross."
The eternal manifestation of Abraham's sign as with the others is an emphasis upon the grace of God. Abraham's name was the token of grace. Of Christ we read: "And he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." (Revelation 19:12-13).
Now, the Greek for "word" is logos, having five letters. Its numerical emphasis, like Abraham, is grace.
So we find that these three early signs have their final expression in eternity. There the symbol of justice is lost in the symbol of mercy because of the Blood of the Cross. The cherubim have no flaming sword because the Blood is sprinkled on the mercy-seat. The rainbow round about the throne is an emerald and has no judgment colours because, "Lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain," Revelation 5:6.
The Name stands alone in isolation from the circumcision because He who bears it has "a vesture dipped in blood." In heaven, because of the precious Blood of Jesus, Mercy rejoiceth against Justice and Sovereign Grace reigns supreme. The emphasis on the Blood is carried all through the Bible. Each book unfolds a little more of what Genesis first records and Revelation finalises all that has gone before.
When the Atonement story first began
A lamb was sacrificed for every MAN.
And then when Israel was in Pharaoh's land,
This sacrifice could for a HOUSEHOLD stand.
Later, a Lamb at the Atonement feast
Was offered for the NATION by the priest.
But last, on Calvary's Hill, the Lamb of God
Shed for a sinning world His precious Blood.
A Lamb before the world's foundation slain,
And in the farthest future just the same!
For in the Revelation we are shown
A Lamb, "that had been slain," amidst the Throne.
"A Lamb," the pivot of earth's history ---
God's great, impenetrable mystery.
"Thou has redeemed us by Thy precious Blood,
"And made us kings and priests unto our God."
"Worthy is the Lamb that once was slain" will be
Our theme of praise throughout eternity.
A lamb was sacrificed for every MAN.
And then when Israel was in Pharaoh's land,
This sacrifice could for a HOUSEHOLD stand.
Later, a Lamb at the Atonement feast
Was offered for the NATION by the priest.
But last, on Calvary's Hill, the Lamb of God
Shed for a sinning world His precious Blood.
A Lamb before the world's foundation slain,
And in the farthest future just the same!
For in the Revelation we are shown
A Lamb, "that had been slain," amidst the Throne.
"A Lamb," the pivot of earth's history ---
God's great, impenetrable mystery.
"Thou has redeemed us by Thy precious Blood,
"And made us kings and priests unto our God."
"Worthy is the Lamb that once was slain" will be
Our theme of praise throughout eternity.
Hence I believe in the Atoning Blood of Christ because that Blood lies at the heart of all the Biblical Revelation.
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