Just one new thought

 I enjoyed listening to the podcasts about Hebrews 6-13 this week, and taught my junior Sunday school lesson about Hebrews 11, focusing on Faith.  The main thing that was a new insight to me this week, however, was sparked by a comment by Lynn Wilson that wasn't even related to the reading.  Lynn Wilson is a brilliant scriptorian.  She has an interesting way of speaking that takes a little getting used to, but often has the best insights of all the podcasters I listen to.  

The thing that sparked my interest was when she was talking about how the temple worship in the Old Testament foreshadows Christ.  She said that even the mercy seat, i.e. the cover of the ark of the covenant, had two angels facing each other.  That foreshadowed when Mary Magdalene looked into the tomb and saw two angels, one at the head and one at the foot of where Jesus had lain (John 20:12). The mercy seat looks forward to the resurrection of Christ, when the angels looked down and saw the tomb slab empty. Somehow, that one statement blew my mind.  I have thought of it over and over this week because I believe it gives us a key to understanding Old Testament symbolism.  In the Old Testament God is painting pictures.  Then later in the New Testament he is painting a new picture that looks enough like the old picture, that we recognize it.  We say, Oh, this was what he was talking about. This is what that was talking about all the time. 

I think I talked about, in a previous blog, (sorry, I couldn't find it again to link to it) the picture of the Passover compared to the picture of the crucifixion.  In the Passover, the Israelites had to take hyssop, dip it in the blood of a sacrificed lamb, and hit it on the post and lintels of their homes. Then the destroying angel would pass over them.  Later, when Jesus was on the cross, all the same elements were there.  There was blood and a wooden cross bar, and the person who dipped a hyssop into the vinegar and lifted it up.  God is saying, "That Passover symbolism was looking forward to this."

I also wrote about the day of Pentecost.  How the cloven tongues of fire came an entered into the people as a symbol of the holy spirit. That reminded the Jews of the fire that came out of the tabernacle and later the temple to show God's presence. 

I feel like almost all the modern temple ceremony is the same way.  It is something that we need to learn to be sensitive to.