Mythology Buster

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.

Blueberries, Daily Bread and Hidden Manna.

My wife and I have an old farm house. It came with about 50 mature Blueberry bushes. They are about six feet tall. When Blueberries begin to ripen, they do not turn all at once. Day by day, you must go over the bushes and pick the ripe berries. If they are just this side of ripe, they do not have the best, sweet Blueberry taste you look for.

As the time draws near and the berries begin to whiten, then blue, you will find an interesting thing takes place. Birds begin to show up. They look the bushes over, but do little other than that…at first. But when the berries begin to ripen, the birds inspect a little more closely. Finally they will peck at the berries, making indentations in them. Once they are fully ripe, the birds will land, eat away, or carry a berry off to eat, before coming right back.

So, as the berries come fully ripe, and we go out daily to pick, we find there are birds waiting to beat us to it. The berries will ripen, and will go through one of three ends; we will eat them, the birds will eat them, or they will fall from the bush. This has become a lesson to me. For the Lord’s voice within has been called small and still. I can look for it, or if I don’t take it to heart when delivered, the birds may carry it away.

Jesus spoke a parable:

[Mat 13:31 KJV]

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof”.

Now, regarding Blueberries, there are about two ways I know to get them. I can go to the grocery store and buy them. Or I can maintain my own patch, to pick my own, and invite others to come and pick all they want. I compare this to the Word of God, as to how one may seek after it. I can pay someone or some thing to provide it to me, or I can trust the Lord, who has given us His Spirit, and has Himself said, that He will teach you. If I get the word through some outside vendor, I must hope and pray that the source is reliable. I must also be content with a more generic, less individualized message. Having a Blueberry patch in my own yard, I know that the berries have never been sprayed or treated with any man made chemicals. They are not processed or mishandled. The bushes are fed twice a year, organically, and mulched. The only rinsing they receive is the rain.

This is comparable to something the book of Acts reveals:

[Act 17:10-11 KJV]

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

The word of the Lord had met with a lot of resistance in Thessalonica by them described as “of a baser sort”. But at Berea, the word was met by them to whom the scripture ascribe a noble nature.

Thessalonica is an interesting word. It means “Victory of falsity”. Berea is also an interesting word. It means “Well-watered garden”. The Bereans listened to the “well” within the garden, and searched the scriptures. The Thessalonians were stirred up to no good, by base individuals who did not love the truth. The message is pretty clear.

In a place, regarding prayer, Jesus gave a pattern to them who asked, how to pray. His response was called “the Lord’s prayer”, although he was speaking to those people according to where they were at that time, and because they had asked. This now oft repeated prayer, constantly asks for things. The things it asks are, and have long been available.

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist”. (Colossians 1)

Everything asked for in the Lord’s prayer, is there to live in by faith. You will not find it in the earth. You will find it in Christ, in yourself. For hundreds of years, the things of the holy place were an enactment of the things of the holiest, which were there all along. Even so, the assemblies often act out weekly, things perceived to be afar of, which are, and have been at hand, walked in by faith.

Regarding “bread”, the prayer asked that they be given daily, their daily bread. This is a a lesson  from the show bread of the tabernacle. It was set on daily. It was man made bread, made according to divine recipe. Therefore, it is as good and reliable as the priests who made it. Did they make every loaf, day by day, year by year, exactly right? Was there ever any variance or cutting corners? Your guess is as good as mine. But there is a higher bread, and Jesus said that to him that overcomes, will He give the right to eat of the hidden manna. This is in reference to the manna hidden in the holiest place. It never runs out, it has a measure containing all fullness. It is in you. It’s source never is touched by human hands. Jesus Christ in you, the true bread of heaven.

Listen for it. Learn from Him. Eat it up when it comes ripe. Don’t let the birds steal it from your mind.
It is there always, always ripening. Always available. It belongs to you. Hidden manna is superior to daily bread. It, unlike daily bread, has no possibility to stink and breed worms. (see Exodus 16)

The scriptures often use familiar, well known things to depict the invisible and unseen things. In Judges 9, a parable is spoken to a people who reject the Lord’s ways and look to install a leader over them. The parable uses the Olive tree, the Fig and the Vine. This is a figure of the fullness of God. The Olive is Spirit, the Fig is the Father, the Vine is the Son. ( I am the vine). In the parable, the trees of the field ask the Olive, the Fig and the Vine to rule over them. Each in succession, refuses. The reason given is that in order to do so, Each would have to give up something. The Lord would have to lay aside who and what He is in order to rule in that way.

Under The Fig

Micah 4:3-4

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Nathanael was a Jew who lived in the days when Jesus began his ministry. His nation was under the control of a foreign power. It had been subdivided into political districts. It had a king, a Herod, who was made king of Judea by appointment of the Roman Senate. Herod was not a descendant of Jacob, but of Esau his brother. The Jewish religion was split with sects who held differing ideas and interpretations. It was a time of intense political and religious turmoil. It was also largely held among the religious among society, that the Messiah would come, according to scripture, and redeem the nation, sitting upon the throne of David. To say that it was a time of great tribulation and upheaval would be a great understatement. Some had arisen, and had been followed by many, but were destroyed, and their followers scattered.

Nathanael was a true Jew, in whose heart was no guile. He desired to know the truth. He happened to be sitting under a fig tree, pondering within himself how he might know Messiah if He were to come, given the present situation. As he sat under the fig tree, Nathanael was considering the scriptures, particularly how that Jacob had many, many years ago, seen a vision in which the angels of God ascended and descended upon certain stones on which Jacob had set his head. The ladder upon which they ascended and descended reached unto heaven, where the Lord stood at the top. Nathanael considered that the Lord, from His place, was no doubt seeing Jacob at the foot of the ladder. It was at this moment that Nathanael had an experience, being moved upon by the Spirit, he knew that the Lord was seeing him, as surely as He had seen Jacob those many generations ago. Nathanael had his answer. Messiah would find him. It was at this very moment something else happened:

[John 1:45-51]

…Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee”. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

The Fig is used in scripture in some places to depict the Father. It was under the fig tree that the Son was revealed to Nathanael is such power and reality, that Nathanael was instantly free in his mind from Herod, Pharisees, Sadducee, Romans, potentates (foreign and domestic), and every other pressing issue troubling his nation and world. Nathanael confessed Jesus to be the Son of God and his king. Similarly in the near future, Jesus would speak to Peter, who also confessed Jesus to be the Christ (which means Messiah). Jesus would tell him that flesh and blood had not revealed this to Peter, but the Father. And Jesus further stated that upon this Rock would He build his church. For the Rock is not Peter, as many erroneously teach and profess. The Rock is the revelation in the individual, from the Father, of the Son of God, the Christ. Christ in you, revealed by the Father (not man) is the true and only foundation.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John.

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe.

He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that Light.

[That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

(from John 1)

The Fig is a very interesting study. The flowers bloom inside the fruit. It’s destiny is revealed within.

Gal 1:15

…. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called [me] by his grace,

To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus….

In reading this account by Paul, of the revelation of Christ in him, by God, you will find it very plainly written that it came expressly from the Father, and not by any other. This is a very important thing to consider. We are called of God. Not of each other. Though all are partakers of this calling, the calling in each is of God. This is not pointed out to diminish any, but to magnify Christ in you, who you have received of the Father.

The days we live in are not much changed. Trouble is on every side. But to find Jesus, or rather, to be found of Him, is peace.

Paul writes in Hebrews 8 in summation. We have a high priest who has entered into heaven itself. A minister of sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man.

Paul clarifies in Hebrews 9, concerning the tabernacle which man pitched (and not the Lord). The man made structure consisted of a first and a second tabernacle, separated by a seamless veil. Each had strictly prescribed furnishings. Each had ordinances pertaining to their function.

[Heb 9:1-14 KJV] 

Then verily the first [covenant] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.  For there was a tabernacle made; THE FIRST, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the show bread; which is called the sanctuary.  And AFTER THE SECOND VEIL, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein [was] the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;  And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into THE FIRST tabernacle, accomplishing the service [of God].  But into THE SECOND [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:  THE HOLY GHOST THIS SIGNIFYING, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:  Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;  [Which stood] only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed [on them] until the time of reformation.  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh:  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The signification and the way revealed.

It is my “calling”, or I suppose, part of it, to take such things as I am given, and share them. I believe this is how increase and edification in the body comes…by that which every “joint” supplies, the “joint” being every member holding to the head. And so, this I endeavor to do, believing that as brethren, we have all things common in the Lord. Particularly, all things spiritual, and we should share them. And once shared, these things belong to all, with no partiality.

In expounding from the things signified, or “encoded” in the tabernacle, Paul shows how that it consisted actually of two tabernacles. The first called the “holy”, and the second called “most holy”, or “holiest of all”, etc. Each had it’s own furnishings and ordinances of service and function. The first tabernacle was actively functioning continually. The second was not. But once a year, the high priest entered to offer for his errors, and for those of the people. Paul says that by this, the Holy Ghost was signifying that as long as this arrangement continued, the way into the holiest was not manifest. That is to say, the shadow of things as signified in the first tabernacle were to continue to be in place, with a yearly enactment of the high priest entering into the holiest. But the book of Hebrews is clear to say that the annual event too, was a shadow, in that it did not deliver anyone from the awareness of sin, or else it would have not been done repetitiously year by year, but once.

Now, Jesus, our high priest has offered himself once for all, purging the conscience of sin, and has entered, not into the holiest place made with hands, but into the heavenly places themselves, and is seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. He is now revealed as The Way. Now the shadow of things is in force no more. Yet the shadow, sadly, continues to be acted out in many, who willingly choose them.

The Book of Revelation is built upon the things fundamentally signified in the tabernacle, but with the emphasis upon the understanding, that we are no longer, or should no longer be concerned with acting out things in shadow, but that Christ Himself has fulfilled all, for all were shadows before, of Him. To use plain speech, “Know ye not that ye are the temple the Lord, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” If we are to walk in knowledge and truth, then this aforementioned fundamental truth must be accepted. The lord’s house is Christ, and them in Him by faith. There is, and never will be, any other temple or house with which the Lord will have anything to do.

The journey of the book of Revelation begins with the lamp stand…the lighting of candles. It is the very thing the Holy Ghost signified upon the fulfillment of the day of Pentecost. The appearance, as it were, of flames of fire upon the heads of the disciples, was a signification, a visual manifestation of the fact that the invisible, immortal, and living God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, took up abode in a people, exactly as had said Jesus, and all the scripture and the prophets.

The journey of the book of Revelation concludes with a people who have no need of light of sun or moon (which things lighted the outer courts), and no need of the calender based repetitious enactment of things before ordained, but now fulfilled by Christ, and received in a people by faith. They have no need of candlestick (which pertained to the holy place), needing no man-maintained lamp, no man-baked bread, which things are good, provided the men are true and reliable. (Show bread being a figure of daily bread, the right dividing of the word of truth , by others, for all. The man-tended lamp being a figure of the hearers of the Olive Oil, taking and relaying faithfully, what they hear). But when men are not true and reliable, neither is what they serve up. So there is a weakness in this arrangement, because the “people” are only receiving light and bread that is dependent to a large degree, upon the ones purveying them. The Book of Jude, and of Revelation itself, are filled with the example of everything from unreliable and unlearned purveyors, to downright wicked and self serving. The people who stand out in the close of the book, have no need of ritualistic religion, no need of governors, tutors and mediators, for a very great and good reason. The Lord God almighty and the Lamb are their light. This is the true fellowship and the doctrine of Christ. Good and faithful people of the Lord are worth marking and worth hearing. There is no denying this. But part of the signification of Hebrews 9, is that mediators are no longer required or proper, where the Lord Himself dwells in the individual. This, after all, is a great work of the cross. The former things are taken out of the way, and the new are in force. Now, in the restitution, a new and living way. “I will write my laws in their hearts and in their inward parts, and I will remember their sins no more”.  This “writing” is not being done vicariously in you, through the hand of any other. It is being done by the hand of the Lord Himself who dwells there, if it is indeed the new and living way and not an emulation of it.  The apostle John wrote that he that has the doctrine of Christ, has both the Father and the Son. Therefore does it say the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb…for there is no having the one, without the other. Again, the apostle Paul wrote:

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ”.

The finished work of Christ is entered into. And it is held in continuance by faith. It is not emulated or duplicated. We are not many teachers, but such as have The Teacher. We are not many lords, but such as have The Lord. We are not such as have many fathers, nor are many fathers, but have The Father. It is this estate, complete in Christ, that the apostle admonished we stay in. And in saying the One God and Father of all, is above all, and through all, and in you all, it is evident that “all” pertains to as many as fit the definition. The statement does not apply to the world at large. Here are some excerpts from the prophets:

[1Ki 4:25 KJV] And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

[Mic 4:4 KJV] But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make [them] afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken [it].

[Zec 3:10 KJV] In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

The scriptures use the phrase “under one’s vine and under one’s fig tree” numerous times. It is a signification, a mental picture, of the fellowship of the Son and the Father, in the individual. It is what John wrote, calling it the doctrine of Christ. It is what was signified in John’s gospel, where under the fig tree ( a signification of the Father)…under the fig tree, the Son is revealed in Nathaniel. It is what Jesus answered Judas (not Iscariot) who asked how Christ would be revealed to His people and yet not to the world:

[Jhn 14:23 KJV] Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

So, in summation, concerning the two tabernacles, once a year, the high priest entered, not to enter again until the same time the following year, etc. By this arrangement, the Holy Ghost signified that the way into the holiest is not revealed until the first, or holy place, is observed and done. But now has Christ Himself, our High Priest, once for all, entered into the heavens themselves. The shadow of things is no longer an impediment. Indeed, on the cross, the handwriting of ordinances, which were against us, have been taken out of the way. All mediators, governors and tutors have been rendered unnecessary, as they too have been taken out of the way. How so? By the Spirit of God who dwells in you. And by Jesus Christ, the only mediator and advocate with the Father. For it is God who is writing upon your heart and inward parts now.

The way into the holiest is indeed revealed:

[Gal 2:19-21 KJV] For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 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. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Jesus is the way, and in His resurrection, by faith, are you made a partaker of Him. In the tabernacle that once stood by way of shadow and signification, the high priest entered once a year, passing through the veil. But I certify you this; that the resurrected Almond branch, the rod of Aaron, was raised once, leafed and flowered once, and bore a crop of almonds once, and in that estate entered once into the holiest of all, to be placed in the ark of testimonies, from where it did not return again, the Holy Ghost this signifying, that when once, the Resurrection Himself should enter the heavens themselves, all type and shadow are fulfilled. All. And from the moment of the beginning of the resurrection, unto time present, and until the Father sums it up, each almond on that resurrected branch represents a place prepared in Him, in each place a measure capable of the fullness ( the very definition of a seed), a generation not reckoned in carnal genealogy and counted in passing years, but a spiritual house and generation, begotten to God in Christ, not reckoned in this world’s reckoning, but a spiritual house, both in heaven and earth, in whom are named the name of the Father. A people ready to be revealed together with the Firstborn, at the last trump…according to the will and power of the Father.

[Isa 8:18 KJV]

Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me [are] for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

[Heb 2:13 KJV]

And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

[Psa 22:30-31 KJV]
A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done [this].

Are there people who seem to need light of sun, moon, stars or candlestick? Yes, it seems so. But if something in you says you belong with Christ, hidden with Him in God, and these aforementioned limited placed do not seem to provide it, know that a way is made for you, and that that way is Christ in you.

ENERGY-MASS EQUIVALENT: “IF YOU HAVE SEEN ME, YOU HAVE SEEN THE FATHER”

Genesis 1 gives an accounting of creation on many scales. Space-time is addressed, as well as the fundamental building blocks of creation. In the fundamental relationship that exists between light (energy) and matter, is the first preaching of the relationship between the Father and the Son, namely that they are of the same “stuff”. This is not to say that the creation itself is to be equated with the creator. But only, as we are told, the creation testifies of the glory of God (and yet is not that glory). Light, matter, and their relationship are created things.
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Defenition by Wikipedia:

In physics, mass–energy equivalence states that anything having mass has an equivalent amount of energy and vice versa, with these fundamental quantities directly relating to one another by Albert Einstein’s famous formula:

E = m c 2

This formula states that the equivalent energy (E) can be calculated as the mass (m) multiplied by the speed of light (c = about 3×108 m/s) squared. Similarly, anything having energy exhibits a corresponding mass m given by its energy E divided by the speed of light squared c². Because the speed of light is a very large number in everyday units, the formula implies that even an everyday object at rest with a modest amount of mass has a very large amount of energy intrinsically. Chemical, nuclear, and other energy transformations may cause a system to lose some of its energy content (and thus some corresponding mass), releasing it as the radiant energy of light or as thermal energy for example.

Mass–energy equivalence arose originally from special relativity as a paradox described by Henri Poincaré.[1] Einstein proposed it on 21 November 1905, in the paper Does the inertia of a body depend upon its energy-content?, one of his Annus Mirabilis (Miraculous Year) papers.[2] Einstein was the first to propose that the equivalence of mass and energy is a general principle and a consequence of the symmetries of space and time.

A consequence of the mass–energy equivalence is that if a body is stationary, it still has some internal or intrinsic energy, called its rest energy, corresponding to its rest mass. When the body is in motion, its total energy is greater than its rest energy, and, equivalently, its total mass (also called relativistic mass in this context) is greater than its rest mass. This rest mass is also called the intrinsic or invariant mass because it remains the same regardless of this motion, even for the extreme speeds or gravity considered in special and general relativity.

The mass-energy formula also serves to convert units of mass to units of energy (and vice versa), no matter what system of measurement units is used.
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In Genesis 1, we read how that God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

The dividing of light from darkness is a lot to dwell upon. The simplest concept has to do with night and day…with illumination and shadow. But thinking a bit beyond the superficial will lead to the conclusion that the sun always shines. So “night and day” are not a consequence of light being turned on and off. Light is always there. But depending upon where I am, light is either obscured or UN-obscured. Night and day, for me, is produced by where I am on a giant ball that rotates in from of the sun. If I know this, I must reassess my thinking about night and day. Time is much the same. I have lived much of my life under the allusion that time moves. This allusion too, is a consequence of living on that giant ball that rotates in front of the sun. Leave the earth and stand on the light side of the moon, always facing the sun. There now is no “night and day” as from the perspective of living on the earth. What then? has time stood still? No, it never was moving. I, on the other hand am moving through time, or rather, through space-time (which is another subject altogether).

When I look up at the “night” sky, I conclude that it is dark. But is it? Absolutely not. The sun is still shining! Space is still full of light. Why does it appear dark? Because light, in order to be seen, must reflect off of something. The moon does not generate any light. When you hear of anything being done under the light of the moon, it is not correct. It is being done under the light of the sun which is reflecting off of the moon. Why can the moon (or any other object for that matter) reflect light? Because of the fundamental relationship between energy and matter, namely, that they are different forms of the same thing. And matter, as a consequence of it’s being “made” of light, is able to declare to the observer, many of the properties of light.

When reading Genesis, and the dividing of day and night, it is a completely appropriate study to consider it in terms of what we now know about light and matter. These things (sun, moon, stars, the heavens…) are filled with lessons. When considering the relationship between matter and energy, we uncover a preaching of the gospel. For the first chapter of Genesis says God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth WAS without form and void. “Was” is a revealing word. It is from the Hebrew, a word that implies that the earth “came to be” without form and void (Never so the heavens). Jeremiah was given a vision that looks deeper into the fact that the Lord did not create anything without form and void, but rather the “earth” became that way. Something happened. And immediately the Spirit of God “moved” upon the face of the deep (which from the Hebrew reads that the Spirit of God BROODED upon the face of the deep, as a bird broods upon an egg). Who and what would restore form and substance to the “earth”? Who was to be brought forth among humanity, made of the Spirit, made of the substance of the Father, and so, able to reveal to us, the nature of the Father? As matter reveals light because it proceeds from light, so Christ, who proceeded and came from The Father, is able to declare and reveal Him:

[Isa 9:1-7 KJV]
Nevertheless the dimness [shall] not [be] such as [was] in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict [her by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, [and] not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, [and] as [men] rejoice when they divide the spoil. For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior [is] with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but [this] shall be with burning [and] fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

So what is the relationship between the Father and the Son? How much of the Father may be seen in the Son? ALL. Einstein’s now famous equation tells you a truth that is mind boggling. All matter equates to a certain amount of energy. The amount of energy bound up in a hundred pounds of Uranium is the same amount of energy bound up in a hundred pounds of water, cheesecake, or you. Fortunately, you are made of stable stuff. But regardless of the particular molecules, E=MC2 has no distinctions of composition. All matter and all energy equate. What is the destiny of the Lord’s people in Christ? To be filled with all the fullness of God:

[Eph 3:14-21 KJV]  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,  Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

[Col 2:9 KJV] 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

[Col 1:19 KJV] 19 For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell;

[Jhn 14:6-11 KJV]
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I [am] in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

[2Co 4:6 KJV]
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

[Col 1:26-29 KJV]
…[Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

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Here is the simple truth. With Christ dwelling in your heart by faith, you have the very substance of God, by whom you may see Him. Without Christ, there is nothing to declare the Father in an individual. Such an individual remains without form and void. A disciple once asked Jesus how these things may be revealed and confirmed in some, and go entirely unnoticed in others:

[Jhn 14:22-26 KJV]  Judas saith unto him, (not Iscariot), Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.  These things have I spoken unto you, being [yet] present with you.  But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.