Symbolism, numerology, manna, changing roles 

1. SYMBOLISM
As in the mouth of two or three witnesses, it is fitting that as Christ, as the 2^nd in the Godhead, performs the 2^nd 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
May 2023

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“JESUS CHRIST - A MAN APPROVED OF GOD (Acts 2:22)”
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Mark 8:22-25,26