Symbolism,
numerology, manna, changing roles
1.
SYMBOLISM
As
in the mouth of two or three witnesses, it is fitting that as Christ,
as the 2nd
in the Godhead, performs the 2nd feeding of Israel … first
with the
5,000 (Matthew
14:13-16,17-20,21) and
now with the
4,000.
In
addition, as Christ had the fulness of the Godhead bodily dwelling in
him
(Colossian 2:9), and thereby showing he was God in the flesh (1Timothy
3:16), it
is fitting that seven loaves are used … with seven
being God’s
perfect number.
2.
NUMEROLOGY
The
number 4,000 has significance in Israel’s history … for good and evil
…as
follows
a.
The
house of the LORD … specifically ‘employed’ two lots of four
thousand …
4,000 were porters, and 4,000 praised the LORD
with instruments (1 Chronicles 23:5)
b.
Army
for the LORD …
4,000 stalls for horses and chariots (2
Chronicles
29:25)
c.
Being killed for the LORD
… where 4,000 were slain by the Philistines (1Samuel
4:2)
Unbelieving
and unsaved Jews of today, can realise
that the number 4,000 is used by God to describe their temple
and
for war … that is to kill or be killed.
3.
CHRIST IS NOT THE FISH FROM HEAVEN
Christ
is called the manna, the bread from heaven,
but never called the fish from heaven. As such, the blessing of the
bread takes
precedence over the blessing of the fish.
The
bread is blessed first and displayed
before the fish are blessed as follows …
“… he took
the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and
brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; … a few small
fishes: and
he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.” (Mark 8:6-7)
4.
THE CHANGING ROLE FROM MESSIAH TO SAVIOUR
In
form, this miracle looks very similar to the
feeding of the 5,000, but the context and meaning are
different.
With
the 5,000, Christ is practically and symbolically
showing himself as the manna, the bread from heaven, that had come down
to feed
the flock.
With
the 4,000, not only is Christ the bread from
heaven that feeds, but he is demonstrating that he will be taking on another
role … that of moving from being the Messiah
under the
kingdom of heaven dispensation, to that of being the Saviour
under the
kingdom of God order of things that will take place after the cross.
After
starving for three days, the 4,000
have arrived without physical food, to be physically fed by
Christ …
which he does. But furthermore, he is symbolically telling them “After three
days on the cross I will feed you the true food.”
The
three days of the 4,000 starving represents Christ’s three days on the
cross,
marks a partition in Israel’s history.
This
4,000 miracle was a practical demonstration by Christ that Israel will
be totally dependent on him as their substitute of the perfect
life
and his perfect blood shed once under the upcoming
kingdom of God
dispensation.
While
Christ was on earth, they could believe in his perfect life however,
with the
imperfect animal blood to be continually shed.
CONCLUSION:
Dear
Reader, as then, we also look in glass darkly
(1 Corinthians 13:12).
The
5,000 and the 4,000 are us, worried about food
and so on … in wanting the manna from heaven more than the
bread of
heaven.
Unlike
the 4,000, let us be able to discern the
watershed of the coming of being caught up (1 Thessalonians 4:17) … and
of the
dispensational change that is just round the corner.
Harley
Hitchcock
This
website’s front page is:
www.
“JESUS
CHRIST - A MAN APPROVED OF GOD (Acts 2:22)”
Miracle #26-
Mark
8:22-25,26