We continue this introduction to the new birth in the Old Testament by analyzing major Messianic passages which reveal that the Messiah would be "born again" into a divine body in His resurrection, and which also reveal that the faithful covenant people will be born again into a divine body when Christ returns. In Volume Six of The Firstborn Sonship of Christ, it was explained and emphasized that God reveals His covenants to everyone who truly loves and reverences Him, Ps 25:14; Pro 27:9,17; et al. We will here show that God has not been unjust toward any people, even the most remote and primitive of mankind through the ages, Ps 19:1-6: Jn 1:9; 12:32; Act 14:16-17; 17:26-28; Rom 1:20.

THE ANGELS ARE MINISTERING SPIRITS

      7 "And of the angels He says: 'Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire,'" Heb 1:7.
      13 "But to which of the angels has He ever said: ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool?'"
      14 "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" Heb 1:13-14.
      5 "For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels," Heb 2:5.
      3 "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him," Heb 2:3.
      God did not create the angels to be heirs of the world, but to be ministers to the Father, to the Son, to the Holy Spirit, and to those of mankind who qualify through covenant training, and are born again into the divine firstborn sonship. The "salvation" mentioned above (Heb 1:14; 2:3), is covenant salvation into the firstborn sonship where one qualifies by holding fast to the end by grace through faith, Heb 3:6,14; 1Co 15:1-2; et al.
      The angels are immeasurably greater than mankind is in mere physical bodies, but the angels are not predestined to be joint heirs with Christ through the new birth into Christ's divine state of being. God did not create angels to share His divine nature and become joint heirs with Christ to rule this age or the ages to come. God is not unjust 1) to create angels immeasurably higher than man in man's present state, 2) to create out of mankind a divine firstborn sonship much higher than the angels, with the angels as their ministers, 3) to create out of mankind other sons who will not be divine and will be less than the angels eternally, 4) to punish Satan and fallen angels with eternal punishment, and 5) to punish the rest of mankind with eternal punishment. God predestined these things from the beginning, and is not unjust in any of them. These are the major things God has purposed, and we will endeavor to briefly point out God's justice in all of these.

THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD

      14 "Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years," Gen 1:14.
      1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.
      2 "Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.
      3 "There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
      4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world..." Ps 19:1-4.
      God placed the sun, the moon, and the earth in our galaxy with all the heavens for "signs and seasons, and for days and years." All the heavens and all things on the earth are constantly bearing witness of God's glory and purpose on a worldwide scale. Because of the circuit of the earth around the sun we have our years, because of the circuit of the moon around the earth we have our months, and because of the turning of the earth on its axis we have our days and nights. God arranged these things and permitted Adam to sin, with the curse that followed, specifically to demonstrate His power, His love, His mercy, His forbearance, His wrath, His justice, etc., as follows:
      22 "What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
      23 "And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory," Rom 9:22-23.
      From the beginning this required the redemption cycle, in which the Son of God would become a human, be born of a virgin, live a sinless life, be ordained to minister as High Priest, die for human sins, be buried, and rise from the dead into a divinely reborn divine-human body to inherit and rule over all the works of God's creation, Gen 1:26-27; 3:15; Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; 53; Ps 2:7-12; 16:7-11; 8:3-6; Heb 2:5-18; Phi 2:5-11.
      This redemption cycle is preached by nature every day as the sun goes down which represents death and burial, and rises again the next morning which represents resurrection and new birth. The redemption cycle is preached every week by the ending of the week and the beginning of a new week. The redemption cycle is preached every month by the ending of the month and the beginning of a new month. The redemption cycle is preached every year by the ending of each year and the beginning of a new year. The redemption cycle is preached by the four seasons of the year: fall represents dying, winter represents death, spring represents resurrection, and summer represents the full expression of life. The redemption cycle is also preached by a vast number of seeds that die in the ground, but in the process of dying new life springs forth out of the dying seed, 1Co 15:36. The new life grows into a grown plant, vine, bush, or tree to produce more seeds to start the cycle over again.
      This phenomenon of birth, life, death, burial, and rebirth is ever before us throughout our lives. God ordained all these things to bear witness of the redemption cycle of birth, life, death, burial, and a resurrection birth into new life. And the Holy Spirit is using all these witnesses to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, Gen 6:3; Jn 16:7-11.

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME

      1 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
      2 "To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn,
      3 "To comfort those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified," Isa 61:1-3.

      Jesus applied this Old Testament passage in the beginning of His earthly ministry as being prophetic of Himself as the Messiah, Lk 4:16-21. Everything Jesus did, He did by the Holy Spirit, Mt 3:16-17; 4:1; 12:28; Mk 1:10-12; Lk 4:1,14,18-19; Jn 1:33; 3:34; Rom 1:4; Heb 9:13. "And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him," Lk 2:40. This verse (Lk 2:40) speaks of Jesus from His childhood and youth. He was taught well by His earthly parents, and the Holy Spirit had full access to His pure and pristine mind. He rapidly learned the true meaning of the Scriptures, and His knowledge was perfected.
      Let us bear in mind that though Jesus was God in a human body, it was the will of the Godhead that the Son, as a human, be restricted to the growth experience (including knowledge) of a human baby and child in order to truly be our vicarious Kinsman Redeemer. It was necessary that He experience the normal life, except without sin or committing sin. As a human being, He learned from the Scriptures precisely as we do. The only difference was that He was not hindered by a sin nature as we are, and therefore He learned rapidly day by day from the Scriptures, and from observation of sinful life around Him.
      When He began His earthly ministry as High Priest of the New Covenant, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit when He was baptized by John the Baptist. He was still fulfilling the Law Covenant according to the Law Covenant. That is, He had to be without sin, then die for the sins of all mankind. At the same time, He was establishing the New Covenant, along with establishing the church as the house or temple of God of the New Covenant during this age. He was anointed with the Holy Spirit, specially for His ministry as High Priest of the New Covenant, Mt 3:13-17; Jn 1:29-51.
      Of course, Christ was God in a human body, and the Holy Spirit was with Him all the time. Yet He had to experience life as a human, and be perfectly obedient to the Father as a human (Heb 5:8-9), in order to be our vicarious Redeemer, and thereby gain the inheritance promised in the last will and testament. Where the first Adam failed, the second Adam succeeded, 1Cor 15:44-50. Yet we must learn obedience and overcome as He did (Heb 5:8-9) in order to share in that inheritance of the firstborn birthright, Gen 4:1-7; 27:27-37; Ex 4:22-23; Rom 8:28-29; Col 1:18; Heb 12:23.

      "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Isa 61:2), indicates the current age, actually from Adam on till the return of Christ: "For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvatipn," Isa 49:8; 2Co 6:2.

      "The day of vengeance of our Lord" points to the Millennial day of the Lord, which will be a day of judgment upon the unfaithful saved and the nations of them. In Isaiah 13, God pronounces judgment upon Babylon, which includes a prophecy of judgment upon the whole world, Isa 13:9-13; See also Isa 24; Joel 2:1-11; Mt 29:29-30,36-51; Rev 6:12-17; 16:1-21; 18:1-24.

      3 "To comfort those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified," Isa 61:3.
      Zion here represents the faithful covenant people, who grieve because of the unbelief and lukewarmness of God's own people as well as the wickedness of the world. The following things are promised to those who mourn before the Lord:

      a. Beauty for Ashes – Glory (doxan) instead of Ashes. In this verse (Isa 61:3), we have the opposite of mourning in sackcloth and ashes (Mt 11:21; Lk 10:13), which appropriately contrasts our lowly state in the flesh compared to the beauty or glory of the divine state of the firstborn sons which God is offering the faithful covenant people. Sackcloth and ashes portray our weak, beggarly, and bitter problem-filled state in a sinful body. The glory and majesty of the divine nature are being offered to the faithful covenant people, which is far more than a perfect human state that is still enslaved to the physical laws of the physical universe, Gal 4:21 thru 5:5.
      b. Oil of Joy – Anointing of Joy. This draws one's mind to the "crown of rejoicing," 1Th 2:19-20. Currently we have only the firstfruits of the Spirit (Rom 8:23), who is given to faithful covenant people in a true local church as the "earnest" of the deified body and spirit promised to those who endure the training God has predestined for us, Heb 5;8-9; 12:1-29.
      c. Garments of Praise – Garments of Glory (doxhj). Garments of glory in a divine body instead of garments of sackcloth are promised to the overcomers here in Isa 61:3 – so very harmonious with the New Testament. This requires the new birth of the body into a "new man" here in the Old Testament just as it does in the New Testament, 2Co 4:17 thru 5:21; 1Co 15. Much more will be presented from the Old Testament to demonstrate that the new birth into the firstborn sonship of Christ was and is the glorious outcome prophesied throughout the Old Testament.
      d. Trees of Righteousness – Justified Saints in divine bodies. That is precisely what we have here in Isa 61:1-3. We are not literally made righteousness in God's divine righteousness now, but our "faith is counted for righteousness." That is, our faith is counted (credited) for God's righteousness, and we are, through the Spirit, waiting in "hope" for that divine righteousness, Gal 5:5; 2Co 5:21; Phi 3:9. Justification in the resurrection will indeed be an infusion of God's divine nature into our mortal bodies, a new birth of the flesh body. The human body of Christ was born of God (justified) in His resurrection, therefore He was raised for our justification, Rom 4:24-25.
      e. Into Glory – Generations of righteousness, the planting of the Lord into glory (eivj do,xan). This planting of the Lord into glory leads to the following conclusions: 1) the Lord is our portion (Ps 16:5; 73:26; 119:57; 142:5); 2) when I awake in Your likeness (Ps 17:15); 3) these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their nests (Isa 60:11); 4) the physical elements of the world do not rule over them (Isa 43:1-3, 21); 5) they shine like the stars for ever and ever (Dan 12:3); 6) a fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns (Joel 2:1-11); 7) No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, Isa 54:17; 8) You are gods, Ps 82:6. All these passages in the Old Testament testify of the new birth of the flesh body.

GARMENTS OF SALVATION

      10 "I greatly delight in the LORD; My soul rejoices in My God. For He has clothed Me with garments of salvation..." Isa 61:10.
      The words "save" and "salvation" in the Scriptures usually refer to full covenant salvation of the life: "..work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," Phi 2:12-13. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation..." Heb 2:3. "By which also you are being saved, if you hold fast to the Word which I preached to you..." 1Co 15:1-2; 2Co 4:17 thru 5:5; Lk 9:23-26.
      These "garments of salvation" are the attributes of God's divine nature – clothed in "the fullness of God," Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-21; Jn 10:30-36; 14:8-11; 17:21-23.

ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

      10 "I greatly delight in the LORD; My soul rejoices in My God. For He has clothed Me with garments of salvation and arrayed Me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" (the divine attributes), Isa 61:10.
      Observe in the verse that these garments are for the groom and the bride, corresponding to the garments of Christ and His bride (Rev 19:7-8): clothed with garments of salvation and covered with a robe of righteousness. This salvation is the salvation we work out with "fear and trembling," by grace through faith as God works in us, Phi 2:12-13; 1Co 15:1-3. The robe of righteousness is God's righteousness, His divine nature (Mt 6:33; Phi 3:9; 2Co 5:21; Gal 5:5), for all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isa 64:6.

RIGHTEOUSNESS SHINES

     1 "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch," Isa 62:1. NIV. Zion and Jerusalem are the same and are also God's deified firstborn people – they will be clothed in the divine glory and righteousness of God, and will be constantly and visibly seen of all nations in all ages to come. This requires the new birth of the bodies of the firstborn sons.

ORDINATION OF AARON AND SONS

      This will be brief with comments primarily on the anointing of the oil only, which was a type of the giving of the Holy Spirit in the ordination of the New Covenant priesthood. This is inserted here because of the "anointing" of the Lord just discussed, Isa 61:1-3. The following comments are taken primarily from Ex 28;29; and Lev 8.

      The first requirement in the actual ordination was that the every day garments of Aaron and his sons were put off. These garments represented our sinful, earthy, flesh body and its sin nature.

       Next Aaron and his sons received a washing of their entire body, which represented a cleansing of the whole body from the sin nature. This was a type of the new birth, the same as circumcision and water baptism, as we will demonstrate from both Old and New Testaments, as we proceed.

      Then the priestly garments were put on Aaron and his sons. All the priests wore a fine linen coat or tunic, Ex 28:4; Lev 8:6-13, and on the day of atonement Aaron put off his other garments of glory and put on the fine linen garments when he went into the Holy of Holies, Lev 16:4,23. The New Covenant priests are represented as currently wearing white garments, Rev 3:4-5,17-18; 6:11; 7:9-14; 16:15; 22:14, which in this life may be soiled or even lost: the church in Laodicea is described as "naked" and must buy of the Lord white raiment in order to be properly clothed, Rev 3:17-18. The faithful covenant people will be dressed in "fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints," Rev 19:7-8. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isa 64:6), and we do not look to be clothed in our righteousness but in the righteousness of God, which comes completely by grace through faith works, Phi 3:9; Mt 5:6; 6:33; 25:31-46; 2Co 9:10; Gal 5:5; 1Ti 6:11; 2Ti 22; 4:8; Heb 12:1-11. God's righteousness is one of the attributes of God, therefore this means being clothed in the divine nature of God, 2Pe 1:4. Jesus entered the presence of the Father through the veil, which is His divine, new born, resurrection body, Heb 9:13-28. We are now able to enter into the presence of the Father through that same "new (freshly slain) and living (divinely born) way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His (divine) flesh, Heb 10:10,19-20.

      Aaron only was anointed with the oil before the sacrifices were slain and the blood applied. After the sacrifices were slain and the blood applied, both Aaron and his sons were anointed with the oil. This is a type of Christ as High Priest only being anointed before the cross, with Christ's human body being born into a divine state in His resurrection (1Co 15:44-50; Rom 1:4; Eph 1:18-23), the church being anointed with the Spirit after the cross on the day of Pentecost, Act 2; 1Jn 2:20,27; 2Co 5:1-5; Gal 4:4-7; Rom 8:14-23 (1-30).

      33 "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
      34 "And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God," Jn 1:33-34.
      John the Baptist spoke of Christ receiving the Holy Spirit as evidence that Jesus was "the Son of God," and in order for Him to function as the New Covenant High Priest. The Holy Spirit dwells only in those who possess deity, that is, those who are filled with all the fullness of God, which "fullness" means all the divine attributes of God, Jn 7:39; Gal 4:4-7; Rom 8:23; Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-12.
      However, the church could not receive the Holy Spirit until the body of Christ was "glorified," which means a deified body, because a glorified body is a deified body, Jn 7:39; Phi 3:7-14,21; 2:9-21; 1Co 15:44-50. The church was already counted to be "the body of Christ," portrayed in the "bread" of the Lord's Supper, Mt 26:26-28.
      7 "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us," 2Co 5:7. Eating the Passover lamb portrayed becoming "one" with the lamb, graphically showing that the faithful covenant people will become "one" in kind with the Father, with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit when Christ returns, Jn 10:30-36; 14:8-11; 17:21-23. Becoming "one with and in" the Father and "one with and in" the Son (Jn 14:8-11; 17:21-23) requires becoming "one with and in" the Holy Spirit, 2Co 3:17-18; 4:17 thru 5:5; Jn 1:29-34. The Father being "in" the Son, and the Son being "in" the Father (Jn 14:8-11; 17:21-23) speaks of possessing the same divine nature.
      As stated later by Paul (1Co 6:15-17), the bodies of the members of the church were counted as being the members of the body of Christ. The "body" relationship with Christ is a metaphor, and must be constantly kept in mind in order to properly understand both Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, the priests, who represented the people (Num 1 thru 8), ate the flesh of most of the animal sacrifices, and thereby the priests represented the people eating the sacrifices, which symbolized the people (or person) becoming "one" with the sacrifice. As in the Passover, the covenant people, in type, ate Christ, thereby symbolizing becoming "one" with the deified Christ – more on this subject at a later date.

      4 "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
      5 "To redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
      6 "And because you are sons (firstborn divine sons), God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!'" Gal 4:4-6.
      Under the Law Covenant the people were counted as firstborn sons (Ex 4:22-23), but were held in a slave status under the Law Covenant, Gal 4:1-3. Under the New Covenant we are counted to be redeemed from the Law Covenant and therefore redeemed from its slave status into the divine firstborn sonship of Christ's resurrection birth, Rom 7:4-6; Gal 4:1-7.
      Though Christ was Jehovah Elohim, His human body was a mere human body. Again, though Christ was Jehovah Elohim and because His human body was sinless, He could receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when He was baptized to officially signal His ordination as High Priest of the New Covenant, and to qualify Him for His New Covenant ministry which required major covenant changes:
      a. To fulfill the Law Covenant and phase it out (Heb 8:6-10), which also required special covenant testing and training, Heb 3:16 thru 3:19; 4:14 thru 5:9.
      b. To phase in the New Covenant, Heb 8:6-13. The New Covenant began to be phased in with the baptism of John the Baptist, and fully replaced the Law Covenant by the resurrection birth of Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit, Lk 24:44-50; Jn 14:16-17,26; 16:7-15; Act 1 thru 2:33.
      c. To establish the church as the body of Christ and as the lone recipient of the New Covenant until Christ returns (Heb 2:10-13; 10:10-25), and through the church gather in a great host of Gentiles into the divine firstborn sonship of Christ, Rom 11:11-22; Eph 2:10-16; 3:5.
      d. To establish God's predestined firstborn sonship, which has always existed in God's knowledge and experience, Col 1:15-19; Heb 7. God has always been infinite: His knowledge and experience have never evolved (Rev 1:8), otherwise there would have been a time when God's knowledge and experience were not infinite.

      39 "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing into Him were about to receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified," Jn 7;39.
        a. Because Christ's body was not yet "glorified" (not yet born of God, Act 13:29-33), His disciples could not yet be given the Holy Spirit, Jn 7:39. The disciples (the church) must receive the Holy Spirit, who is the Administrator of the New Covenant on earth, 2:Co 3. However, Christ's human body had to be glorified (deified) first (Jn 7:39; Gal 4:4-6; Rom 8:23), because the church is counted as His body. The bodies of the church members could not be counted as deified until Christ's human body really was deified, Jn 7:39.
        b. But when Christ's body was crucified, had died, was buried, and was born again into a divine body in His resurrection (Col 1:18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:29-33; Heb 1:5-6; 5:5; 1Co 15:44-50), then the way was prepared for His body (the church) to receive the Holy Spirit, Jn 7:39; Gal 4:4-7; Rom 8:23; 2Co 5:1-5. Therefore, when Christ ascended back to heaven and was seated by the right hand of the Father, He was given the Gift of the Holy Spirit to be given to the church, as promised, Acts 2:33; 1:1-8.
        c. The bodies of the members of the church had to be (in the metaphor) counted as crucified, dead, buried, and raised (born again) together with Christ in His resurrection birth, Rom 6:2-13; Gal 2:26-27; Col 2:9 thru 3:10; Eph 2:10-16; 4:22-24. The Gift of the Holy Spirit is the "earnest" (guarantee) to faithful church members (faithful last will and testament people) that, when Christ returns, they will be conformed to the image of Christ in deified bodies, Col 3:7-14,21; 1Co 15:1-3,29-58; 2Co 3:18; 4:7-12,17 thru 5:5.
        d. In summary, Christ received the Holy Spirit: 1) because He was the Son of God in a sinless human body; 2) because He was baptized by John, Mt 3:13-17; John's baptism was required for His ordination as High Priest of the New Covenant – see the typology of the whole body washing in the ordination of Aaron as high priest, Ex 29; Lev 8 & 9; 3) because God had given His oath that Christ would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek, Ps 110:1-4; Heb 5:5-6; 7:1-25; and 4) because the Holy Spirit is uniquely the Administrator of the New Covenant, Isa 61:1-3; Lk 4:16-21; 2Co 3, though He was the Administrator of all the covenants.
        e. However, though Christ was God in a human body, that human body was not yet glorified (deified); therefore, though the church and the bodies of the members of the church were metaphorically called the body of Christ (1Co 6:15-17; 12:13-27), the church could not receive the Holy Spirit until Christ's body was glorified (deified), Jn 7:39; Gal 4:5-6; Rom 8:23. The Holy Spirit dwells only in those who are deified or are metaphorically counted as being deified. We will further demonstrate that the Holy Spirit dwells only in those who possess deity when we come to the "cloud" and the "tabernacle" in the wilderness. Rich studies of the new birth lie ahead of us in the Old Testament:
      14 "The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant," Ps 25:14.

THE GLORY OF GOD BELONGS TO ISRAEL

      4 "‘Who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the service of God, and the promises," Rom 9:4.
      The words glory, life, righteousness, etc., are often generic, and as such represent all the other attributes of God. Here the word "glory" speaks of splendor, majesty, honor, praise, etc. The adoption (the firstborn sonship) belongs to Israel, the glory belongs to Israel, the covenants belong to Israel, the giving of the Law belongs to Israel (the New Covenant also belongs to Israel, Heb 8:8-10), the service (worship service) belongs to Israel, and the promises belong to Israel. Also, God's glory is one of the promises of the covenants which belong to Israel, as stated in the verse. We will demonstrate from both Old and New Testaments 1) that the "glory" by covenant predestination belongs to Israel, 2) that Israel by covenant predestination is God's "called," and 3) that Israel by covenant predestination is "called to glory" by a "grace through faith" walk of life.
      13 "I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, for Israel My glory," Isa 46:13.
      This verse is unique in that it speaks specifically of bringing 1) God's righteousness, 2) God's salvation, and 3) God's glory together and associating them as "one." God's righteousness is one of God's attributes, God's glory is one of God's attributes, and God's salvation is bringing the faithful covenant people into a fully divine relationship with God. There will be nations of saved people on the new earth who will not share at all in this unique "oneness" with God.
      Israel (the faithful in Israel) is God's righteousness and God's glory, and is the chosen (called, predestined) people to show forth God's divine praises (excellencies, attributes), Isa 43:1-3,21; 1Pe 2:9. The church has been grafted into God's Israel (into Israel's covenant position, or Christ's covenant position, Rom 11:11-22; Eph 2:11-16; 3:6; 1Pe 2:9; and is called and predes-tined by a "grace through faith" walk (Rom 4:12-22) to be one and the same deified nation after Christ returns and after the Millennium.
      9 "For My name's sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off.
      10 "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
      11 "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.
      12 "Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last," Isa 48:9-12.
      Remember that the church has been grafted into Israel and is predestined to be one and the same peculiar (special) people with Israel, Rom 11:11-32; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:10-16; 3:6; 1Pe 2:5-9.
      Look up the word "glory," and observe the glory (the splendor, the majesty, the divine excellencies) shining forth from the "cloud in the wilderness," from the tabernacle, and from the Holy of Holies, Ex 13:21-22; 14:19-25; 16:7,10; 25:22; 24:16-17; 33:9-11; 40:34-38 (1Ki 8:10-11; 2Ch 5:13-14); Lev 9:6,23-24; 16:2,12-13; Num 9:16-23; 14:10; 16:19,42; 20:6; et al. No other nation was thus blessed or predestined, Due 4:7-9; 6:5-9; Ps 147:19-20; Rom 3:1-2.

      4 "For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect..." Isa 45:4.
      12 "Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last," Isa 48:12. See also Deu 7:6; 14:2; Ps 135:4; Isa 41:8; 43:1,20-21 (1Pe 2:5-9); Isa 44:1; 45:4; 49:7; 65:9,22; Amos 3:1-2.
      1 "I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
      2 "God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
      3 "'LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life'?
      4 "But what does the divine response say to him? ‘I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.'
      5 "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace," Rom 11:1-5.
     This 11th chapter of Romans is not addressing people who are outside of Israel and outside a true local church. There are many saved people outside the church, but they do not stand within the election – they are not among those who are the "called," "the election," those predestined to be conformed to the "glory" image of Christ, "by grace through faith." "By faith" we stand within the election (Rom 11:20), but if we do not make our calling and election sure, we will be cut off from the calling and election, Rom 11:20-22; 2Pe 1:3-10; Jn 15:1-6; Gal 4:21 thru 5:4; et al.

      13 "I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. And I will place salvation in Zion, for Israel My glory," Isa 46:13.
      11 "For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.
      12 " Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last," Isa 48:11-12.
      3 "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to glory and virtue," 2Pe 1:3-10; Rom 8:28-30; Phi 3:7-14,21; Col 1:5,23,27; 2Th 2:14; 1Pe 5:10; et al.
      We are called both "by" God's glory and virtue, and "to" God's glory and virtue, but God has predestined that only those who persevere by grace through faith will receive His glory and excellence. Those who do not persevere by grace through faith will not receive the promise of the divine nature (new birth) when Christ returns, but will receive "corruption:" a corrupt body as we now have, 2Pe 1:4; Gal 6:7-9; Lk 12:46-48; et al.
      The glory of God (the fullness of the divine nature) was promised to Israel (see also Ps 17:15; 82:6 [Jn 10:30-36]; Isa 43:1-2,21; 60:8, 19-21; Dan 7:18,22,26-27; 12:3; Joel 2:1-11; Mal 4:1-3), but Israel did not persevere by grace through faith, and were cut off from the election, Rom 11; 1Co 10:1-12; Heb 3:7-19; et al. Of course, there will be a remnant of Israel who will accept Christ and be grafted back into their covenant position, Rom 11:23-32.

YOU ARE GODS

      1. "God stood in the assembly of the gods, and in the midst is judging the gods...
      6 "I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High,'" Ps 82:6.

      Jesus said, "I and My Father are one," Jn 10:30. The Jews understood Jesus correctly, in that He was saying that He was divine as the Father is divine. Yet they thought Jesus was only a human and not divine, therefore they intended to stone Him. Then Jesus used this statement in Ps 82:6 to establish that the covenant people were ad-dressed as gods, divine firstborn sons. The Jews recognized this as in-spired truth, but they still sought to kill Jesus.

      Being "one" with the Father and "one" with the Son, and being "in" the Father and "in" the Son (Jn 14:8-11; 17:21-23) both mean being filled with all the fullness of God's divine attributes (Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-10), therefore being divine as God is divine.

      When the Israelites ate the Passover lamb, the unleavened bread, the manna, etc., they portrayed becoming "one" with Christ, and therefore "one" with the Father and the Holy Spirit, possessing Their divine nature, Heb 3:14; Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; Col 1:19; 2:9-10; Jn 10:30-36; 14:8-11; 17:21-23. The same is true when the priests, who represented the people, ate the sacrifices and the twelve loaves of showbread. It should not be difficult to see how becoming "one" in the divine nature of God (a divine birth) should have been understood by Nicodemus and all the Jews.

      This partaking of Christ (Heb 3:14), which signifies becoming what Christ now is in His divine body (1Co 15:44-50; 2Co 3:18; 5:16-17,21; Phi 3:7-14,21; et al), is the theme of the Old Testament. As we continue, we will demonstrate this in all the major features of the Law Covenant.

YOUR THRONE, O GOD

      6 "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
      7 "You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions," Ps 45:6-7; Heb 1:8-9.
      1. This Messianic prophecy, to say the least, follows Christ's resurrection when His human body was deified and was anointed again with the "oil of gladness" – the Holy Spirit. See the ordination of Aaron and his sons, Ex 29; Lev 8; Jn 3:34; Rom 1:4; Eph 1:18-23; Col 2:14-15. In His life, Christ loved righteousness and hated sin, therefore, as the firstborn Son of God from the dead (Col 1:18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:29-33; Heb 1:5), He was again anointed with the Holy Spirit (the oil of gladness), Heb 1:8-9.
      2. This is another of many Messianic Psalms, in this case addressing Christ (Jehovah Elohim) as the Bridegroom and the faithful covenant people as His bride. A beautiful Psalm of majesty, righteousness, strength, joy, and beauty.
      3. Here we have God speaking to God, Elohim is speaking to Elohim, Jehovah is speaking to Jehovah (Zec 12:1-10; Heb 1:10-12), I AM is speaking to I AM (Ex 2:14; Jn 8:58), the Father speaking to His Firstborn Son (Ps 89:27; Col 1:18), concerning the throne of David which graduates into the throne of the Father and the Son in the ages to come.
      4. We immediately associate this passage (Ps 45:6-7) with others like it in the Old Testament (Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; Mic 5:2; Ps 110:1; Zec 12:10), which speak of God in a human body. The passage speaks of both an earth and heaven related scene where a child is born and His name is called, "Immanuel," which means "God with us." This signifies that the "mighty God" dwelt in a human infant body without sin. The child grew to be an adult in a human body. During all of this time He chose righteousness and hated wickedness, and will sit on David's throne as Jehovah Elohim – obviously in a human yet divine body in which dwells all the fullness of the Godhead, Col 2:9. Nothing less than this will satisfy Jehovah Elohim of Zech 12:10 and these many related passages.
      5. As the child grew, He chose righteousness and hated sin, which was necessary in order to be our kinsman Redeemer. He must be as a lamb without blemish. And we should expect that He would study the Scriptures as no other child or adult would ever do, and that He would learn who He was at a very early age, Lk 2:49. He would obviously become thoroughly acquainted with all these scriptures we are studying, even in His childhood. How inexpressibly thrilled, yet humbled, He must have been as He recognized that He Himself was the fulfillment of all these Messianic passages! At the age of only twelve years old, He said to His parents, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" Lk 2:49.
      Jesus obviously had already learned from these scriptures we are studying, that He; 1) was Jehovah Elohim in a human body, Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; Mic 5:2; Zec 12:10; Ps 2:6-8; 8:3-5; 45:6-7; 102:25-28; et al; 2) was the Son of David, 2Sam 7:12-14; Ps 89:3-4; 110:1; Mt 22:41-45; Isa 9:6-7; 3) was the Lamb of God, Isa 53:7-1-12; Gen 4:4; Ex 12; 4) would be crucified on a cross, Ps 22; Isa 53; Zec 12:10; 5) would suffer God's righteous wrath against the sins of the world, Ps 22:1; Isa 53:4,10-11; 6) would be buried and descend into Sheol (hell and paradise; Ps 16:9-11; Lk 23:43) to declare His fulfillment of prophecy and His victory over all evil forces; 7) would be raised from the dead and move paradise from Sheol to the third heaven, Ps 68:17-18; 2Co 12:1-4; 8) would be born again into a divine body in His resurrection, Ps 2:7 - 6-12; 16:9-11; 17:15; 40:6-10; 45:6-7; 68:17-18; 102:25-27;110:1-4; Zec 12:10; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; 33:15-16; Dan 7:13-14; Mal 4:1-3; Gen 15:1; Ps 16:5; 7:26; 119:57; 142:5; Jer 10:16; 51:19; Lam 3:24; et al; – ("a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom" must be associated with justification which addresses God's righteousness as one of the attributes of God's divine nature, therefore the "scepter of righteousness" requires deification – this is expected since the Father said to the Son, "Thy throne, O God"); 9) would be "justified" (deified - his body infused with God's divine attribute of righteousness), sit at the right hand of the Father, and intercede for the saints, Rom 4:24-25; Phi 3:9; Rev 19:7-8; Isa 53:12; Ps 22:22-31; 68:17-18; 110:3-4; Heb 2:14-18; 3:1; 4:14-16; 5:1-10; 6:19-20; 7:1-28; 10) would descend back to earth at the end of the sixth day (sixth millennium) and deify (justify) all the faithful covenant people, Ps 17:15; 82:6; Isa 53:11; Dan 12:2-3 – hereafter we will spend considerable time and space studying the types and ceremonies of the Old Testament, which portray the faithful covenant people partaking of Christ to become one with Him in His divine body; 11) would reign on the throne of David for 1,000 years (the seventh day) – a millennium of "rest," (Gen 2:1-3;Isa 2:1-4; 9:6-7; 11:1-9; 65:17-25; Mic 4:1-4; Rom 8:19-22; Heb 3:6-19; 4:1-11); 12) would put down the last enemy and deliver up the kingdom to the Father – Gen 1 and 2:1-3 provide for a seven day (seven millennium) cycle.
      Obviously, these seven days were not intended to end everything, but would provide for six millenniums of testing and training of the covenant people in preparation for the seventh millennium of divine rest, and a continuing yet new beginning beyond that. This is unequivocal from the emphasis put on the seventh day, Gen 2:1-3; Ex 16:22-35; 20:8-11; 31:12-17; Deu 5:12-15; Heb 4:1-4; et al.
      As He grew from childhood, Christ was learning these things with serene joy, and learning them perfectly from the Old Testament. He learned from the Old Testament Scriptures of His human life and of His resurrection birth into a deified human body.
      6. Though He was Jehovah Elohim in a human body, yet, as our human substitute, He loved righteousness and hated wickedness, therefore He was anointed with the oil of gladness above His companions. This speaks of His human life – His companions being His faithful covenant people, Mt 12:46-50. Christ chose righteousness and hated sin every moment of His life in order to qualify for the inexpressible joy that He knew was set before Him, Heb 12:2. That is how Ps 45:6-7 must be interpreted, since He was to be the Lamb without blemish. A major part of "the joy that was set before Him" was "in bringing many sons to glory," Heb 2:10-13; 12:2.
      7. His throne will be the throne of David, and will last forever without end, Isa 9:6-7; Dan 2:44; 7:13-14,27. Isa 53, plus many, many other scriptures of animal sacrifices show that He would die: the Lamb of God must die; however, He must be raised into a divine, heavenly, body of glory (Dan 7:13-14; Mal 4:2; et al), to sit on the Father's right hand in the third heaven and intercede for the saints, Ps 110:1; Isa 53:12. To sit on God's right hand in the third heaven (Ps 110), and then on David's throne on earth in God's divine righteousness (Isa 54:17; Jer 23:5-6; 33:16-17), that human body had to be born again. This, in turn, required His "companions" to be born again into divine bodies and also be "anointed" with the Spirit together with Him – "more than Your companions," Isa 45:6-7.

1. Briefly describe God's purpose in creating the angels in relation to the firstborn sonship.

2. The redemption cycle is of major importance. Give the major steps in the redemption cycle from before creation to resurrection birth.

3. God reveals Himself and His redemption purpose through the cycles of nature each year. Describe some of the ways God does this.

4. Isaiah 61:1-3 is a wonderful prophetic passage. Indicate the prophetic application of each clause.

5. Analyze the prophetic meaning of Isaiah 61:10-11.

6. Again briefly draw out the prophetic meaning of Isaiah 62:1-3.

7. Compare how the ordination of the Law Covenant priesthood symbolically portrays the ordination of the New Covenant priesthood.

8. Analyze how Romans 9:4 applies to both Israel and the church.

9. Define the "oneness" God has predestined to exist between the Godhead and the faithful covenant people.

10. Summarize the 12 items noted on page 17 above.

11. Describe how Jesus grew in knowledge and wisdom from the Old Testament, being both God and a human child. Luke 2:40 thru 52.

12. Summarize from the Old Testament how Israel as a nation is God's chosen people, and for what purpose.

13. Explain from the New Testament how the church is also God's chosen people, and God's purpose in doing this.

14. Demonstrate from the Scriptures how the faithful of the Old Testament and the faithful of the New Testament will both be the bride of Christ.