THE ALMOND: FIGURE OF RESURRECTION

The Almond is used in scripture to depict the resurrection. Tracing the appearance of the Almond and it’s course through the scriptures, yields this amazing truth. This is not an attempt to trace the Almond botanically, but scripturally.

The first appearance of the Almond in scripture is somewhat veiled. In Genesis 28, Jacob is fleeing from his brother Esau, going out of Beer Sheba toward Haran:

“And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put [them for] his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I [am] the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I [am] with thee, and will keep thee in all [places] whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to thee of.
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this place! this [is] none other but the house of God, and this [is] the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put [for] his pillows, and set it up [for] a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz at the first…”

The word “Luz” means “ALMOND TREE” . The experience Jacob had was a vision of Christ. The conversation Jacob heard was not directed at him. It was between the Father and the Son. The heir of all the promises to Abraham is that Son. And it is this seed in whom God affirmed in Jacob’s dream, that all the people of the earth would be blessed. Because Jacob had his head upon the stone, he was aware of the entire covenant between the Father and His Son, as manifest in the experience. Knowingly or unknowingly, Jacob poured oil on the stone, calling the place the House of God; the Gate of Heaven (all of which Christ is). And Jacob named the place “House of God”, the place theretofore known as “Almond Tree”.

In time, as we know, Jacob’s son Joseph is cast into a pit to die, and raised out of the pit (in a figure of resurrection), suffers servitude and imprisonment, before be exalted to lord of all Egypt, only in the throne, was Pharaoh greater. After many years, a great famine is in the earth, and Jacob sends his sons into Egypt to buy food from Pharaoh (unaware that he actually dealt with Joseph, his own son). This Pharaoh, and many of his successors, “knew” Joseph. They saw in him, such things, that Pharaoh named him Zaphnathpaaneah, which means “Treasury of the Golden Rest”. And Pharaoh gave to Joseph a wife, Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. In Joseph, this Pharaoh must have seen something. Two sons of Asenath, daughter of an Egyptian priest, would eventually sit with Benjamin, on the West side of the camp, a place of significance and prominence.

In any event, the second time Jacob sent his sons to buy food from Pharaoh (though it was Joseph), Jacob tells them to take Pharaoh some Almonds. Figuratively, the vision of Jacob at Luz, comes to his own son Joseph, as Almonds. This deserves a lot of thought. For again, this is not a botany lesson, but spiritual.

After many generations, we read that a Pharaoh arose who “knew not Joseph”. Of course this was hundreds of years after Joseph’s passing, so no one knew him personally. But a Pharaoh arose who did not regard the significance of Joseph. I believe the Pharaohs who “knew” Joseph , were of the Hyksos dynasty. They were in fact, not Egyptians, but did rule Egypt. I believe the Pharaoh who “knew not” (the significance) of Joseph, was of another dynasty.

During the exodus, Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. He was accompanied by his brother Aaron, who had a staff; a rod. If you count the times Aaron’s rod figured miraculously in leading the children to deliverance, you find it did so more times than Moses’ rod. And in a dispute over leadership, it was Aaron’s rod that leafed, blossomed and bore a generation of almonds. Then, in that condition, entered into the holy of holies, to be placed into the ark of testimonies.

In the book of Hebrews, Paul writes concerning the yearly entrance of the high priest into the holiest place, with blood offered, that this was done yearly, but the daily, weekly, monthly & etc. rituals of the holy place were in force until the way into the holiest should be manifest. This “way” is foreshadowed by the once yearly entrance of the high priest. It was also permanently foreshadowed by the placement of the resurrected almond branch, AND it’s generation begotten in it’s resurrection, in the ark of testimonies. As long as this condition of the ritualistic function was in place, you had two separate environments, two dwelling places, (see Hebrews 9). In the first, called the holy, was a man made lamp stand fashioned like an almond branch. On it were seven lamps that burned olive oil, fashioned like almonds. There were four bowls that were not lamps…they gave no light. This sum of eleven corresponds with the eleven stars of Joseph’s dreams (twelve minus Joseph, who is not reckoned in the camp, and whose star from Jacob died in the pit). The design of the lamp stand teaches the significant truth, that a son of bondage can not be heir with a son of a wife (see Galatians 4). Also in the holy place is the table of twelve man made loaves, one for each tribe.

In the holiest was a resurrected almond branch with a generation it produced. There is no number given of how many almonds. Much can be said of this. Also, there is one bread only…the measure of hidden manna in the golden pot. Much can be said of this also. But the “WAY” into the holiest is not manifest while the first, or holy, is standing.

Jeremiah proclaimed:

[Jer 3:16-17 KJV] 16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit [it]; neither shall [that] be done any more. 17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

Jesus, The Way, died alone. But was not raised alone.

[Gal 2:20 KJV] 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So, out of Jacob comes a gift of the almond, symbol of resurrection. This gift goes to Jacob’s son who Jacob believes to be dead. But his son is alive, having been delivered from the hands of his conspiring brethren, raised out of the pit ( a very figure of resurrection), and now in charge of bread. If you can see it, Joseph is a figure of Christ, who was separated from his brethren and household, translated in a figure by resurrection, into the household of God, and becomes heir of salvation, not only to his former house, but to all who would come to him.

Jesus is the way into the holiest. There is no other. He is the life (the bread) the resurrection (the almond), and the only one who fulfilled the law, taking it out of the way for those in him. The three testimonies of the ark, given by God: The manna, the resurrected branch and it’s generation, and the tables of the law…all fulfilled in one. Jesus Christ. No man comes to the Father but by Him, and in Him. Except I be a partaker, by faith, with and in Him, I will never see the kingdom of God.

[Jhn 20:17 KJV] 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.

[1Jo 3:1-2 KJV] 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

[Phl 3:8-11 KJV] 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.