In the following correlation of scriptures, identities, and functions, we observe a prophetic transition from the divine to the human and then back to the divine, creating a divine-human firstborn sonship. This is seen most clearly in the New Testament, Phi 2:5-11; Col 1:18; Rev 1:5; Act 13:29-33; 1Co 15:44-50; Eph 1:1-23; 1Pe 1:3-5; 1Jn 3:1-3; Heb 1:1-14; et al. However, the intent here is to observe how this divine-human-divine series of events unfolds throughout the Old Testament Scriptures.

            a. God made a covenant with Adam, in which He gave Adam authority over all creation, Gen 1:26-30; Ps 8:3-6. This first passage indicates that man would rule only over the earth, but the second passage reveals that man is placed in position to rule over all the works of God's hands: just as God promised Abraham the land of Canaan (Gen 15:18), yet later we see that the promise is that Abraham should be heir of the world (all the works of God's hands), Ps 8:3-6; Rom 4:13.
     The tree of life therefore gave promise of divine life, which Adam did not have but could gain through covenant disciplinary training by faith obedience. Later on we will take space to show that the word "life" in the tree of life is generic for all the attributes of God – all the covenant and birthright promises, or all the fullness of God's divine nature.
            b. God's covenant with Adam required Adam and Eve to believe and obey God by eating the fruit of the tree of life, and not eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Gen 2:9,16-17. Again, Adam did not yet have the divine life offered in the tree of life. This divine life is offered (promised) through the covenants throughout the Scriptures, Deu 30:10-15; Rom 10:4-11.
            c. Adam broke God's covenant by not believing and obeying. This brought death (alienation from God), the loss of covenant authority and benefits (Rom 5:12-19), slavery to Satan and sin (Rom 6:16), and eternal punishment, Gen 2:17; 3:1-10; Ps 9:17; Rom 5:12-19.
            d. After Adam sinned, God revised the covenant into a "last will and testament," and made Himself (as the Son of God) to be the testament Testator and Messiah, Gen 3:15,21; 4:4; Heb 9:16-17. Obviously, God demonstrated and explained to Adam and Eve His roll as the Testator, as the Seed of the woman, as the Kinsman Redeemer, and as the Lamb of God, that must die for the sins of mankind, redeem what Adam had lost in His disobedience, redeem the faithful covenant people from death, crush the head of the serpent (Satan), and gain the divine life (divine nature) promised in the tree of life, Gen 2:9,16-17; 3:1-24; Rev 2:7,10; 22:14.
            e. As the testament Testator, God (the Son of God) will be identified as the Messiah in each of the following enumerations. The word "Messiah" is from the Hebrew and the word "Christ" is from the Greek, and both refer to the One "anointed" with the Holy Spirit to be the Messiah (Christ).

            a. The Kinsman Redeemer must be born of a virgin in order to become our Kinsman Redeemer – the Redeemer must have a sinless birth and a sinless life in order to die for the sins of all mankind. See 2a above. This repetition is to correlate the scriptures, identities, and functions of the Messiah.
            b. The Kinsman Redeemer, as the Lamb of God, must be made a "sin offering" (Isa 53:10), die as a sin offering, and be raised from the dead apart from sin, Ps 16:7-11; Isa 53:10-12. By His covenant discipline, He conquers sin and death and redeems those who will likewise believe and obey, Gen 4:4. Jehovah says, "I am your Redeemer" – 13 times similar words appear in Isa 41 thru 63, signifying Jehovah is our Kinsman Redeemer.
            c. The Kinsman Redeemer must be raised in a divine human body in order to fulfill His intent in the tree of life. Faith obedience was required to refuse the tree of knowledge and evil and eat of the tree of life. Divine life (the fullness of God, Ps 2:7; 8:3-6; 16:7-11; 17:15; 45:6-7; Isa 53:10-12; 68:17-18; 102:23-28; Dan 7:13; Mal 4:2) above the life Adam and Eve had, was and still is being through covenant faith obedience, Gen 2:9,16-17.
            d. The Kinsman Redeemer and covenant Testator, will redeem all that Adam lost, and will sit on David's throne and rule all creation, Isa 9:6-7; Ps 2:7-12; 8:3-6; 24:10 (3-10); 45:6-7; 89:27; 102:23-28; 110:1-4; Dan 7:13-14.

            a. The clean, sacrificial animals were types of the Messiah as the Testator (God in a human body), the Seed of the woman, the Kinsman Redeemer, and also Lamb of God (again, God in a human body), Gen 3:15,21; 4:4; Isa 53:7. Surely, the testament Testator demonstrated and explained to Adam and Eve why the animals were slain and why He clothed Adam and Eve in the skins of the slain animals, Gen 3:21; Rev 19:7-8. Obviously, God explained the marriage relationship, its prophetic symbolism, and what "the two shall be one flesh" meant, Gen 2:24; Eph 5:31-32, Jn 10:30-36; 14:8-11; 17:21-23. Abel demonstrated that he understood the firstborn birthright promise, and brought the firstborn of his flock in worship to represent the Messiah as the Firstborn in life, in death, and in divine resurrection life, Gen 4:4; Ps 2:7-9; 8:3-6; 16:7-11; 17:15; 14:3-10; 40:6-10; 45:5-6; 68:17-18; 89:27.
            b. The Lamb of God must be born of a virgin (a sinless birth) and live a sinless life – to be clean, without spot, without blemish, without sin in order to be a "sin offering" for all of Adam's descendants, Gen 7:1-3,8; 8:20-21; Isa 53:9-11.
            c. The Lamb of God must be burned on the altar as a burnt offering, Gen 4:4; 8:20-21; Lev 1 thru 7. The burnt offering represented 1) covenant testing both in life and on the cross (Ps 22; Isa 53; Zec 12:10), 2) God's judgment against sin (Isa 53), 3) purification through God's judgment against sin (Isa 53:10-12), and 4) justification of life – justification points to the new birth into God's divine righteousness (the fullness of God's divine nature) in the resurrection, Isa 53:11; 54:17; 2Co 5:21; Phi 3:8; Rev 19:7-8.
            d. The Lamb of God was eaten by all the covenant people in the Passover (Ex 12), and by the priests in the sin, trespass, and peace offerings, Lev 3 thru 7. In the Passover, the Lamb and the people become one in death and one in resurrection life, Ex 12; Heb 3:14. In the sin, trespass, and peace offerings, a part was burned on the altar, representing God's satisfaction in the sacrifice of the Lamb, Isa 53:10-12. Another part of these sacrifices was eaten by the priests, which represented the faithful covenant people becoming "one" with the Lamb in resurrection life, Isa 53:10-12; Heb 3:14. Justification (Isa 53:10-12) is the divine resurrection birth of both the Lamb and the faithful covenant people, Ps 16:7-11 (Act 2:25-37); 2Co 5:21; Phi 3:9 (7-14,21); Rev 19:7-8.
            e. The Lamb of God, being the Testator, the Seed of the woman – the God-Man, and the Kinsman Redeemer, had to die as the Testator, will crush the head of the Serpent, will redeem all that Adam lost, has inherited the divine life promised in the tree of life, and will sit on the throne of David and rule all creation, Ps 2:7-9; 8:3-6; 16:7-11; 17:15; 24:3-10; 40:6-10; 45:6-7; 68:17-18; 72:1-19; 89:27; Isa 9:6-7.

            a. The Lion of the tribe of Judah was prophesied to be God in a human body, Gen 49:8-12: Mic 5:2; Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; Mt 2:5-6; Rev 5:5.
            b. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will be 1) the Son of David (Isa 9:6-7; Jer 33:15), 2) the Root and Branch of Jessie (Isa 11:1-9), 3) the Branch of righteousness (Isa 11:1-9; Jer 23:5-6; 33:15-16; Zec 6:12), and 4) the Lord our righteousness, who will justify (clothe) the faithful covenant people in God's divine righteousness by the new birth when He returns to judge and rule the nations and all creation, Isa 53:10-12; Jer 23:5-6; 33:15-16; 2Co 5:21; Phi 3:9 (7-14,21).
            c. In order to clothe the faithful covenant people in God's righteousness (the life of the tree of life), the Lion of the tribe of Judah must 1) be God before becoming a human, Ps 8:5; 102:25; Isa 9:6-7; Mic 5:2), 2) be born of a virgin to be without sin (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14), 3) live a sinless life to be without spot or blemish (Ex 12:5; Lev 1; 3; 4), 4) die for the sins of mankind (Gen 3:15,21; Isa 53:4-12), 5) be raised from the dead to conquer death (Gen 3:15,20-21; Ps 16:7-11; Isa 25:8; Hos 13:14). 6) become God's firstborn from the dead into a divine body and thereby inherit the "life" of the tree of life, Ps 2:7; 16:7-11; 17:15; 68:17-18; 89:27; 110:1; Isa 53:11; Dan 7:13-14; Zec 12:10; Mal 4:2, and 7) justify the faithful covenant people by the divine new birth (Ps 17:15; Isa 53:11; Jer 23:5-6; 33:15-16) so that they also will be partakers of God's fullness in the firstborn sonship of Christ. This is symbolized by eating the Passover lamb, the other sacrifices, the manna, the unleavened bread, etc.
            d. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will crush the head of the Serpent (Gen 3:15), and sit on the throne of David and rule all nations and all creation, Gen 49:10 (Mic 5:2); Ps 2:7-12; 8:3-6; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 33:15-16.

            a. The Branch of David is Jehovah – He is God, born into the human family by the virgin birth, Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14; Gal 4:4. All the identities, indicated in each numeration require that the Messiah be God in a human body.
            b. The Branch of David is God's divine righteousness, credited to the faithful covenant people in justification, Jer 23:5-6; 33:15-16. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isa 64:6), and our righteousness must come from God, Isa 54:17; 45:24; Mt 6:33; 2Co 5:21; Phi 3:9; Rev 19:7-8.
            c. The Branch of David will rule the world, Jer 23:508; 33:15-26; Isa 11:1-9; Zec 3:8-10; 6:12-13. The Branch of David is the God-man who will sit on David's throne and rule the world in divine righteousness, Isa 9:6-7; Ps 2:7-12; 8:3-6; 45:6-7; 89:3-37; 1-2:23-28; 110:1-4.
            d. The Branch of David must therefore pass through the divine to human to divine cycle of 1) virgin birth, 2) a sinless life, 3) God's disciplinary training, 4) the suffering of the cross, 5) death, burial, and resurrection birth into a divine human body, move paradise to the third heaven, intercede for the covenant people, 6) return to the earth as the God-man and crush the head of the Serpent, and 7) lift the curse and rule the world in righteousness.

            a. The Son of David had to be God in a human body 1) serve vicariously as God's substitute for Adam and his descendants, 2) keep the Law of righteousness perfectly and qualify and serve as a "sin offering," 3) suffer God's just judgment against sin on the cross, 4) create in His resurrection a new kind of human body, possessing the fullness of God's divine nature in a human body – a God-man, and thereby gain what was promised in the tree of life, Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; Mic 5:2; Ps 2:7-9; 40:6-8 45:6-7; 68:17-18; 89:27; Ps 102:23-28; 110-:1-4.
            b. The Son of David must therefore be born of a virgin to avoid the sin nature (Isa 7:14; 9:6-7), live a sinless life (Isa 53:9; Ex 12:5), overcome God's austere covenant training (Ps 45:6-7; Isa 28:16; 50:4-90, die as man's substitute (Isa 53), His body be buried and His spirit descend into Hades (Ps 16:7-11), and arise from the dead to conquer death, Ps 16:7-11; Isa 25:8 (1-9); Hos 13:14.
            c. The Son of David must experience a divine resurrection birth to become God's firstborn from the dead (Ps 2:7; 8:5 (3-6; Heb 2:7,9); Ps 16:7-11; 17:15; 45:6-7; 89:27), and lead captivity captive and give gifts to His church, Ps 68:17-18; Act 2; Eph 4:8-10.
            d. The Son of David must ascend into heaven in a new born deified body, be seated at the right hand of the Father, intercede for the saints during the fourth and fifth millenniums, and return to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords at the beginning of the seventh Millennium of rest, Ps 68:17-18; 110:1-4; Dan 7:13-14; Gen 2:1-3; Ps 95:7-11; Jud 14-15.
            e. The Son of David will sit on the throne of David as the God-man and reign over a utopian earth in righteousness, Gen 2:1-3; Ps 2:7-12; 8:3-6 (Heb2:7,9) 16:7-11 (Act 2:25-35); 24:7-10; 45:6-7; Isa 2:1-4; 11:1-9; 65:25.

            a. The Son of man must be God in a human body to serve as man's Testator and Kinsman Redeemer, Gen 3:15; Ps 8:4;6:7-11; 17:15; 40:6-8; 45:6-7; Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; 53; Jer 23:5-6; Dan 7:13-14; Mic 5:2 (Mt 2:5-6); Zec 12:10.
            b. The Son of man had to be born of a virgin (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14), live a sinless life (Ex 12:5; Lev 1 thru 7; Isa 53:9), suffer God's just wrath against sin and die to experience sin's death by crucifixion (Gen 2:17; 3:15,21; Isa 53; Ps 22:16; Zec 12:10), be buried, descend into Sheol, and rise the third day in a divine resurrection birth (Ps 16:7-11; 2:7 (Act 2:25-35; 13:29-37); Ps 8:4-6 (Heb 2:6-9); Ps 17:15.
            c. The Son of man has been crowned with glory and honor in His resurrection birth into a spirit, heavenly, glorified, divine body (Ps2:7; 8:5; 16:7-11; 17:15; 45:6-7 (1Co 15:44-50; Phi 2:9; 3:21), has ascended back to heaven, transferring paradise to the third heaven (Ps 68:17-18), and is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for the saints, Ps 110:1-4.
            d. The Son of man, at the end of this age, will be ushered in before the Father in the eyes of before all creation to receive the prophesied throne of David to rule all creation through the Millennial kingdom, Dan 7:13-14; Ps 2:7-9; 8:3-6; 24:3-10; 45:6-7.

            a. The Servant of Jehovah is Jehovah (the Messiah, Jesus) in a human body, Isa 42:1-7; 49:1-12; 50:1-10; 52:13-15; 53:1-12; Isa 7:14; 9:6-7; Zec 12:6-10. Jehovah must become the Seed of the woman in order to crush the head of the Serpent, Gen 3:15. Sin and death must be overcome by the Seed of the woman, Gen 2:17; 3:1-24. This is the function of Jehovah's Servant. The same is the function of the testament Testator, the Redeemer, the Lamb of God (the sacrifice of clean animals), the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Branch of David, Son of David, and the Son of man, all of whom identify the same Person.
            b. The Servant of Jehovah is to bring Israel back to God and to be Jehovah's salvation to the ends of the earth, Isa 49:5-13. This makes Jehovah's Servant the Messiah, the Seed of the woman, the Redeemer, the Testator who must crush the head of the Serpent, Gen 3:15.
            c. The Servant of Jehovah must learn to believe and obey from His earliest intelligence of youth, Isa 50:4-10; 53:1-2,9; Ps 40:6-10; 45:6-7; Lk 2:40. Observe how Jehovah through the Holy Spirit opened the ear of Jehovah, the Servant. The Servant constantly believed, obeyed, and thereby overcame the covenant disciplinary training
            d. The Servant of Jehovah, to be the Redeemer of Israel and of Mankind, must be anointed with the Holy Spirit to perform His earthly ministry, Isa 42:1-7 (Mt 12:18-21); 61:1-6 (Lk 4:18-19); 11:1-9; Ps 45:6-7.
            e. The Servant of Jehovah must be made a "sin offering," suffer God's wrath against sin, die, be buried, and be raised back to life by a divine birth of His human body, Isa 53:1-12; Ps 2:7; 8:3-6 (Heb 2:6-13); 16:7-11; 17:15; 40:6-8; 45:6-7; 68:17-18; 89:27; 110:1-4; Dan 7:13-14; Zec 12:10; Mal 4:2.

            a. The Son of God was God before He became a human, Gen 3:15,21 (Heb 9:16-17); Gen 4:4; 8:20-21; Ps 102:23-28 (Heb 1:10-12); Isa 7:14 (Mt 1:23); Zec 12:10. The important thing in Gen 3, 4, and 8 is that Jehovah is the Testator and the animal sacrifices were God's appointed witness that His covenant with Adam was a testament and that He, as God (the Son of God) was the divine Testator.
            b. The Son of God, as the Testator, must be the Seed of the woman through a virgin birth (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14; Mt 1:23; Gal 4:4), in order to be without the sin nature of Adam and Eve. This began a series of major and necessary events that would lead back to a sinless state for those who would believe and obey; but further, this series of events would lead to the promised divine "life" of the tree of life, Gen 2:9; Deu 30:10-20; Rom 10:3-10
.             c. The Son of God, as the testament Testator, the Seed of the woman, the Kinsman Redeemer, must not only bring the faithful covenant people back to the sinless state of Adam and Eve before they sinned, He must gain the "life" promised in "the tree of life." The tree of life promised life beyond the human life which Adam and Eve had before they sinned.It is the divine life promised throughout the Scriptures in all the last will and testaments, Gen 2:9,24; 3:20-21; 4:4; 8:20-21; Deu 30:10-15 (10-20); Ps 17:15; Rom 10:4-10); Mt 4:4; Jn 5L39-40; 6:27-68; 1Co 15:44-50; Eph 1:22-223; 3:19; 5:31-32; Col 1:19; 2:9-10; Phi 3:7-14,21; Jn 10L30-36; 14:8-11; 17:21-23.
            d. The Son of God, as the Testator, the Seed of the woman, the Kinsman Redeemer, must conquer sin, death, and crush the head of the Serpent, Gen 2:17; 3:1-15. To do this, the Son of God must be born into the human family by a virgin birth to be without sin (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14), and live a sinless life (be the Lamb of God without spot or blemish) to die for the sins of the human race, Gen 7:2; 8:20; Ex 12:5; Lev 1 thru 7. He must further be crucified (Ps 22:16; Zec 12:10), suffer God's just wrath against sin portrayed in all the burnt offerings (Gen 4:4; 8:20-21), die, be buried, and raised from the dead in victory over sin, death, hell, and the grave, Ps 2:7-9; 8:3-6 (Heb 2:6-14); Ps 16:7-11; 17:15; 40:6-8; 45:6-7; 68:17-18; 89:27; 110:1-4; Isa 25:8-9; 53; Hos 13:14.
            e. The Son of God in a human body gained that divine state that was promised and offered to the human race in "the tree of life," Gen 2:9; 3:23-24; Rev 2:7; 22:14. God promised to the faithful covenant people in the tree of life precisely what Christ (the Messiah) gained in this divine-human-divine cycle of events. The Son of God was God in a human body throughout the human cycle, but He had to live vicariously and completely as a human being (but without sin), suffer God's just wrath against sin, and then be born again out of the grave into a heavenly, divine, spirit body, which body now possesses all the fullness of God's divine nature, Col 2:9; 1Co 15:44-50.
            f. The Son of God, in all the identities given above, will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords over all the works of God's hands, Ps 2:7-12; 8:3-7 (Heb 2:6-14); 45:6-7; 68:17-18; 89:27; 1-2:23-38; 110:1-4; Isa 2:1-4; 9:6-7; 11:1-9; Dan 2:44-45; 7:13-14.
            g The Son of God, in all the identities given above, will share His firstborn sonship with a great host of faithful covenant people who will be-lieve and obey and continue believing and obeying by grace through faith, Gen 15:1-6 (Rom 4:13-16; Gal 3:6-9,14-29); Ps 8:3-6 (Heb 2:6-14); Ps 22:22-26; 24:3-10; 40:6-10; 45:6-7; 68:17-18; 89:1-37; 110:1-4. These faithful covenant people will be made "one" with the Testator (the Messiah, the Christ) in a bridal relationship and in Christ's firstborn sonship in the divine new birth when Christ returns, Gen 2:24; 4:4; Isa 54 (Gal 4:21-31; 5:1-5); 60; 61;2; Eph 1:22-23; 3:19; 5:31-32; Jn 10:30-36; 14:8-11; 17:21-23.

      25 "For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
      26 "Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
      27 "For You will not leave My soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
      28 "You have made known to Me the ways of life; You will make Me full of joy in Your presence.'
     29 "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
      30 "Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
      31 "He, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption,
      32 "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses
.       33 "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God (Ps 110:1), and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.(Ps 66:17-18; Act 2; Eph 4:8-10).
      34 "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand,
      35 "‘Till I make Your enemies Your footstool,"' Act 2:25-35.       How much did David understand of the prophecies the Holy Spirit made through him? He knew positively that God would raise up one of his descendants to sit upon his throne – that is made clear in Act 2:30 above. Knowing this and "foreseeing this" (seeing this beforehand), David prophesied of the resurrection and ascension of Christ, Act 2:30-31.
      This means that David understood that Christ would be crucified, die, and descend into Hades, Ps 16:9-11; 22:1-21. He prophesied that Christ's human body would be divinely born of God in His resurrection, (Ps 2:7); that Christ was his (David's) Lord and would ascend to heaven and be seated at the right hand of the Father, (Ps 110:1; Mt 22:41-45); that Christ would move Paradise from Sheol to the third heaven, Ps 66:17-18.
      David associated the human body of the Messiah with the bodies of sacrificial animals, Ps 40:6-8. He wrote of the Son of man being made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death and resurrection glory, Ps 8:3-6 (Heb 2:5-18); Ps 16:7-11; 2:7 110:1.
      Of course, the prophets did not understand all they prophesied, but from Act 2:30-32 we see that David understood far more than the Pharisees did. And we are seeing in this introduction to the Old Testament that Nicodemus should have understood about the new birth from the Old Testament Scriptures.

      So far we have been concerned with the major offices, titles, or identities by which the Messiah is known throughout the Old Testament, and with correlating these identities by many scriptures which state the calling, role, or function of each identity to the extent we can recognize that they all signify one and same Person,