We continue correlating the functions of the Messiah as prophesied in the Old Testament. God has kept His faithful servants well informed concerning the Messiah and His last will and testament, and has done this from the Garden of Eden through each following generation. God does not want us to be unin-formed, as Paul wrote six time that he did not want his converts to be ignorant of God's word, Rom 1:13; 11:25; 1Co 10:1; 12:1; 2Co 10:1; 1Th 4:13. To whatever degree we fail to understand God's Word, it is our fault (Isa 13-6,18; Lk 19:41-44), for in every generation God has provided grace sufficient for the proper understanding of His Word, Gen 18:17-19; Isa 1:16-18; 50:4-10; Hos 6:1-3; 2Ti 3:16-17.
      Abel understood the testa-mentary and prophetic projections of the sacrifices he offered, Gen 4:4; Heb 11:4. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied that the Lord would come with a vast host of His deified saints and judge the ungodly, Jud 14-15. God revealed to Abraham so many glorious things about the Millennium (the Messiah's day) that Abraham desired exceedingly to see that day, so God showed it to him, Jn 8:56.
     And what did Abraham see? He saw the Seed of the woman in a deified human body judging the world in divine righteousness, along with the redeemed host of the faithful saints in deified bodies, just as Enoch saw at least the beginning of the same glorious day of the Lord, Jud 14-15. Did Abraham and Enoch get only a fleeting glance at the day of the Lord? Or were they given true prophetic visions of the King of kings and Lord of lords in His heavenly kingdom glory?
      The Son of God (Seed of the woman) in His divinely born again human body, with an innumerable and invincible host of deified saints (accompanied by myriads of their ministering angels) will be governing all creation in divine righteousness. Did Abraham and Enoch have understanding of what they saw? And why did Abraham rejoice? Was it not because he well understood what he saw?
     Abraham was evidently also given a prophetic vision of the heavenly city whole Builder and Maker is God, Heb 11:8-10. Abraham was so impressed and overwhelmed with joy that he told his household over and over again with enduring passion (Gen 18;19), and his descendants did the same for many generations. Consider:
      13 "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth..." Heb 11:13-16.
      Now we also look for the same city: "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, to myriads of angels in festive gathering," Heb 12:22.
      ;Job said, "For I know that my Redeemer is living, and He shall stand at last on the earth,
      Surely Job understood that his Redeemer would be a Kinsman Redeemer, and would be the Seed of the woman. Job knew that His Kinsman Redeemer must be made a sin offering, and die, and rise again in order to redeem His people from sin & death.
      26 "And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God,"
      Job knew he would die, but he knew his Redeemer would also die, and both of them would be raised from the dead in divine flesh bodies, and he would see His Redeemer God in a divine human body.
      27 "Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" Job 19:25-27.
      Job's heart yearn to see that day when he would awake in his Redeemer's likeness and see His face in divine righteousness. Research these verses carefully. Job had the same assurance that David had.
      David said, "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness," Ps 17:15.
      Does this sound as though Job and David had no understanding of what they said and wrote of the Redeemer and of the resurrection birth? Job and David understood that they would die and turn to dust, but would be raised out of the grave and stand before their Redeemer in His righteousness – in a divinely born again, heavenly, spirit body.
      We unfortunately put our minds in reverse when we read 1Pe 1:10-12. Did the prophets search diligently day after day for years without gaining any understanding of what they had prophesied? Did Jude sound that way about Enoch? Jud 14-15. Did Jesus sound that way about Abraham? Jn 8:56. Did Luke sound that way about David? Act 2:25-35. Job and David appear to have understood quite well about the resurrection birth into a divinely born flesh body in the last day, Job 19:25-27; Ps 17:15.
      God told Daniel, "...Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end," Dan 12:9. If that included everything about prophecies, why would Daniel (Dan 9:2) and all the prophets (1Pe 1:10-12) study and search so diligently the prophecies they and others had made? Indeed, understanding is increasingly given to those who honestly and fervently search the Scriptures, Rev 1:3.
      Why would Simeon prophesy of the suffering the infant Jesus would later experience (Lk 2:25-35), and why would Anna speak of the redemption the infant Jesus would accomplish:
      1) if they knew nothing about this infant being the Seed of the woman to become their Kinsman Redeemer (Lk 2:25-38);
      2) if they understood nothing about the prophecies of God being born into a human body (Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; Ps 8:3-6; 40:6-8; 45:6-7; Dan 7:13-14; Mic 5:2);
      3) if they understood nothing about the prophecies of the Messiah's suffering and death as the Lamb of God, (Ex 12:1-14; Lev 1 thru 9; Ps 16:7-11; 22:15; Isa 53:1-12; Zec 12:10);
      4) if they understood nothing about the prophecies of the resurrection birth of the Messiah's human body into divine glory, (Ps 2:7-9; 16:7-11; 17:15; 24:3-10; 45:6-7; 68:17-18; 89:27; 102:23-28; 110:1-4), and
      5) if they understood nothing about the prophecies of the Messiah's return to the earth in divine glory to judge and reign on David's throne, Ps 2:7-12; Isa 9:6-7; Dan 7:13-14; Zec 14:1-5; Mal 4:1-3.
      The Old Testament saints as early as the closing days of David could recognize from the writings of Moses and David (with the other scriptures which were written by that time) that these writings constituted a last will and testament. The Seed of the woman would be the Redeemer, Gen 3:15,21; Job 19:25-27. The Seed of the woman would also be God (the Son of God), Ps 2:7; 8:2-6; 16:7-11; 17:15; 22; 24:7-10; 40:6-8; 45:6-7; 60:17-18; 89:27; 102:23-28; 110:1-4: et al.
      The Seed of the woman, the Redeemer, and the Son of God must die, Gen 3:15,21; Ps 16:7-11; 22; 40:6-8; 89:27. Again, the Seed of the woman, the Redeemer, and the Son of God are therefore the testament Testator as Heb 8:16-17 says – as all the Bible requires from Genesis (Gen 3:15,20-21) thru Revelation, Rev 5; 13:8; 19:7-8; 22:1.
      Here we pick up where we left off in the November issue of the paper. (The editor made an oversight in the October paper: the October issue still says "September" where it should be "October," which is issue No. 10. September is 9, October is 10, and November is 11. No doubt some readers were and maybe still are confused. Editor's oversight).

      "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die," Gen 2:17.
      The penalty and the inevitable result of sin is death, Rom 6:23; 5:12. When Lucifer and myriads of angelic creatures sinned, their nature was changed (Eze 28:15; Mt 8:29) and they fell into a state of living death and hostility toward God, Isa 14:12-14; Eze 28:11-19; 2Co 11:14; Eph 6:12. Likewise, when Adam ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, his nature with that of Eve was immediately changed into a state of living death and sin-enslaved alienation from God, Gen 3:1-8.
      Though we are alive in a physical body, we are nevertheless in a state of death. This death consists of a sinful nature which generates selfish passions that inevitably lead into all the conflicts, fears, evil intents, and savage destructions mankind has experienced through these six millenniums. This current state of death produces the temporary destruction of our physical body with the destiny of eternal punishment, Rev 20:11-15.
      But God, from before creation, purposed to demonstrate His infinite love, mercy, longsuffering, justice, power, and glory, Gen 1:26-31; Rom 9:22-23; 1Pe 1:18-20. God also desired to share His divine attributes and create a unique "oneness" by grace through faith with certain chosen ones of His creatures, Gen 1:26,28; Ps 8:3-6; Ex 19:4-6; Mal 3:16-18. Therefore, God promised a Redeemer and a redemption for those who will believe and obey His righteous will. This is done by grace through faith (Gen 18:17-19; Isa 66:1-2,5; Heb 11) in a covenant relationship, which is also a last will and testament, Gen 3:16-21; 15:6-18; Ex 19:3-8; Heb 9:16-17 (11-28).
      The Redeemer therefore must become the Seed of the woman and die in man's stead, Gen 3:15. As the Testator, God immediately killed clean animals, obviously burned their bodies on an altar, and clothed Adam and Eve with their skins, Gen 3:21. God thus demonstrated and explained that He would clothe them in His divine righteousness, Gen 2:23-24; 3:20; Ps 17:15; Isa 54:17; Mt 6:33; 2Co 5:21; Eph 5:31-32; Phi 3:9; Rev 19:7-8.

      6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.....
      10 "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul AN OFFERING FOR SIN, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand," Isa 53:6,10.
      The analogy throughout the Scriptures is that the sacrificial animals, fowl, and food offerings represented the Messiah (Christ) and the faithful covenant people as one and the same entity. For instance, Husband and wife are addressed as "one" (Gen 2:23-24), and represent Christ and His bride as "one" Eph 5:31-32. The Testator becoming the Seed of the woman testifies that God would become "one" in kind in Adam's race.
      Likewise, Adam and Eve being clothed in the skins of the sacrificial animals symbolically portrayed how the bride of Christ will be clothed in the divine righteousness of God (Gen 15:1; Ps 17:15; Isa 54:17; 2Co 5:21; Phi 3:9; Rev 19:7-8), thereby becoming "one" with God in divine union. Once again, among other examples, the eating the flesh of the Passover lamb and other sacrifices instructed the faithful covenant people (as in Jn 6) that they would be partakers of Christ – "one" with Christ in the divine state of His resurrection birth, Ps 17:15; Isa 46:13; 48:9-12; Dan 12:3.
      All sacrificial animals and other offerings represented the Mes-siah, but they also represented the person or persons offering the sacrifice. This is symbolized by a person bringing a animal sacrifice, by laying the hands of that person or the priest on the head of the animal, and by the priest eating part of that offering, Lev 1 thru 9. Observe this cycle further:
      In the case of the Passover, all Israel ate of the Passover lamb (Ex 12), and thereby symbolized 1) a "oneness" of the people with the lamb, 2) a "oneness" of the lamb with the Messiah, and 3) a "oneness" of the people with the Messiah.
      Again, in the food offering, peace offering, sin offering, and trespass offering, the priest ate a part of the offering or animal, Lev 1 thru 9. This also symbolized 1) a "oneness" of the people with the offering, 2) a "oneness" of the offering with the Messiah, and 3) a "oneness" of the people and the Messiah with the priest who ate of the offering.
      The priests represented the covenant people (Num 3:1-10), and when the priest ate part of the animal or offering, it represented the covenant people eating of the animal sacrifice or offering. The same is true of the twelve loaves of showbread which obviously represented the twelve tribes of Israel (Lev 24:5-9), the priests ate the loaves representing Christ and the twelve tribes becoming "one" in divine resurrection life – Jesus said "I am the bread of life" (Jn 6:27-69), whether the manna, unleavened bread, cake, wafer, grain, or other food offering, Lev 2:14,16; 8:26.
      1) A covenant person brings a clean animal for a sin offering, and lays hands on the head of the sacrifice, representing that he and the sacrifice become one;
      2) the animal sacrifice also represents the Messiah (Christ), therefore the person who brings the sacrifice is "one" with the Messiah;       3) the animal dies in sacrifice, therefore the one who brought the animal is represented as dying with the animal – being crucified together with Christ;
      4) part of the animal is burned on the altar, which is God's part, signifying (among other things) a "oneness" between Father and Son (Ps 2:7) – the animal represents God (Messiah, Christ) in a human body (Ps 40:6-8), to be born into a divine body;
      5) the priest eats part of the animal (sin offering), symbolizing a "oneness" of priest and the sacrifice, but also a "oneness" of the priest and the person who brought the sacrifice – the priest represents the covenant people by virtue of his office as priest (Num 3);
      6) the priest represents the person who brought the sacrifice eating the flesh of the Messiah (of Christ) symbolically – the person who brings the animal dies in the death of the animal (crucified with Christ), but he lives in the life of the priest (raised together with Christ);
     7) the priest eating of the animal sacrifice represents partaking of the Messiah (of Christ, Heb 3:14; Jn 6:27-67) in His resurrection birth and divine life, as with all Israel eating the Passover lamb, Ex 12; 1Co 5:7; Heb 3:14.
      The heart and theme of the whole Bible is first, God becoming a human – a Kinsman Redeemer (oneness with man) in order to bring an elect people into a divine state of being with God (oneness with God). Then secondly, this elect people, in order to qualify as God's elect, must become "one" with the Messiah (Christ) in His body (the church, Ps 40:6-8; Heb 10:5-10,21-25) in order to experience the symbolism of being crucified together with Christ, dying together with Christ, being buried together with Christ, and being raised together with Christ in a resurrection birth, Rom 6:2-6; Gal 2:20; 5:24; Col 2:9 thru 3:10; Heb 10:19-20; et al.
      This could and can be done only by the covenant people, which in the New Covenant is a true local church that can purge out the old leaven as the Scriptures require for holiness, 1Co 5; 11:17-34. Only a local church can assemble (1Co 5:4,12-13; 11:17-24; Heb 10:25) and properly purge out the leaven from its membership, 1Co 5:5-13.
      The divine life of the tree of life was offered to Adam and Eve, but they aborted that life by eating of the tree of sin and death. As their Redeemer, the Seed of the woman (the Messiah), must not only redeem them and their faith descendants back from sin and death, but also be born from the dead into the divine life offered in the tree of life (Gen 3:20; Deu 30:10-15; Rom 10:3-13; Rev 2:7), on behalf of those who trust and obey. This divine life was God's promise in the beginning.

      16 "For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;
      17 "I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.
      18 "They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots," Ps 22:16-18.
      This Psalm (Ps 22:1-21) is a graphic description of crucifixion – a Roman method of execution unknown in the days of David. The Psalm is a Psalm of David, but the above verses are not applicable to any experience in David's life. This provides another awesome proof of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures.
      The testament Testator, the Kinsman Redeemer, and the Seed of the woman must therefore die by means of crucifixion. This is how the serpent (Satan) would bruise or crush the heel of the Seed of the Woman, Gen 3:15. The slaying of the animals (and obviously their bodies burned on an altar) in the Garden of Eden to provide clothing for Adam and Eve represented the crucifixion of the testament Testator as a main part of the redemption process.
      The faithful and alert Israelite would read and study this Psalm (Ps 22) many times, along with Zec 12:10, Isa 53:1-12, and the vast number of scriptures concerning animal sacrifices. On top of this, the faithful Israelite would himself offer and would observe these sacrifices being daily offered by all Israel. Moreover, the faithful and alert Israelite, being constantly taught by the Holy Spirit, would thereby recognize that the Scriptures were a last will and testament. He would recognize that the Messiah was the testament Testator, and would recognize that the Testator must die. Further, he would recognize that the Testator, represented by the many titles previously mentioned, must die by crucifixion.
     10 "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn," Zec12:10.
      Observe in the context of this passage that it is Jehovah who is speaking. Jehovah said, "then they will look on Me whom they pierced" – again, the word "pierced" signifies crucifixion. Did the prophets mentioned in 1Pe 1:10 search the Scriptures diligently in vain – to no avail? Were they not wonderfully rewarded for their careful and tenacious searching of the Scriptures?
      All the Israelites from the time of Zechariah on until the Messiah came should have correlated this passage (Zec 12:10) 1) with the prophetic crucifixion scene in Ps 22:16 and context, 2) with the multitudes of animal sacrifices that so expressly represented the death of the Messiah who would provide their divine life clothing (Gen 2:24 thru 3:21; Ps 40:6-8; 17:15), 3) with the sufferings of God's "Servant" who would be made a "sin offering," would justify (give a divine birth to) the faithful covenant people, and would sit on David's throne and rule the nations, Isa 42 thru 53.
      37 "And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced,'" Jn 19:37 (34,37).
     7 "Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen," Rev 1:7.
      These passages appropriately emphasize the profound significance of Zec 12:10 where Jehovah said, "and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced." The Holy Spirit was equally as eager and ready to open the eyes, the ears, and the hearts of the Old Testament saints so they could see, hear, and understand (Isa 1:3-6,18; 50:4-10; 55:1-13; Lk 19:41-44) the many, many scriptures revealing 1) that each of the covenants were a last will and testament requiring the death of the Testator, 2) that the animal sacrifices and other offerings represented the sinless human body of the Messiah Testator who would die as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world (Ps 40:6-8; Isa 53; Heb 10:5-10), 3) that the Redeemer Seed of the woman must qualify as man's sinless Kinsman Redeemer, face sin and death, and conquer them by offering Himself as the sin offering for Adam's sin and all the sins of mankind (Isa 53). 4) that those who believe and obey may inherit the divine life of the tree of life, Gen 2 & 3; Rev 7.