(Isaiah 53: 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
Within Christendom, the doctrinal focus of the sacrificial death of Christ, Second Person of the Triune God/Son of God, is generally on His physical death by crucifixion while nailed to a raised wooden cross. But truth demands the greater focus be on the death He died in our stead – the Second Death (death of the soul). The Lamb of God sweated ‘as it were drops of blood’ (Luke 22: 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground). In mortal distraught agony, Jesus Christ feared not crucifixion nor physical death. His agony of body, soul, and Spirit was because He knew the depths of separation from the Father/Light/Life/Love/Righteousness. His agony was about the death of His soul which, as the ransom for the sins of man, would separate him totally from Father God/Light/Life/Hope/Eternal Joy/Peace. Being cast out of the Father’s sight meant spiritual Death which is an unbearable dark/hopeless/lifeless/desolation. Many mortals have chose suicide to escape the depths, of what seems, unbearable desolation. But our precious innocent sacrificial Lamb of God’s suffering is beyond what man can comprehend.
Ro 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together
Oh my, where do I start to search the depths of sacrifice, of setting forth, of propitiation, of faith, of blood, of righteousness, of sins past, of forbearance of God? I begin by searching Christ the Lamb’s incredible gift of going to Death in my place. Amidst varied Christian doctrines and traditions, we agree that Christ suffered to redeem us from death to Life. But I contend that, in recent centuries, Christian tradition has focused narrowly on the agony of physical death with little mention of the deep and incomprehensible agony and suffering of Christ’s soul which went into Death – eternal desolate place of the wicked. I propose that Christian tradition has made the three-fold cord of death/burial/resurrection into a two-fold cord crucifixion/resurrection only. The three days of death are seldom considered. What happened to Christ while He was ‘in the heart of the earth’ for three days? He gives a huge clue by way of Jonas/Jonah. Matthew 12: 39 “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall be no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
As a child, I knew His sacrificial suffering was intensely more, deeper, than the insufficient words used to describe the events of crucifixion, entombment, and resurrection. But not until recent years did I understand through divine revelation, and that in small measure, the horrors suffered by both God and Christ as they accomplished redemption for those who will receive/accept. Crucifixion was the least of it!! When the time came for the appearing of the ‘Lamb slain from the foundation of the world’ (Genesis 3:21/John1:29/Rev.13:8). Christ would be the willing and faithful sacrificial Lamb. God would assign the vile sin of man to the pure and righteous soul of the Son. Christ would die, not as the Son of God, but as wicked man. He would make His grave with the rich and wicked ( Isa 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.’). In Gethsemane (Luke 22: 42-44), Christ’s spirit agonized extensively knowing the desolation, the vileness, the death, and the evil His sacrificial soul was going to experience for three days and nights in Death. Be clear! When I say ‘death’, I am speaking only what scripture has revealed. I am speaking of Jonah’s revelation (Jonah 2:2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.) I am speaking from Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bear the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” I am speaking from Christ’s own Word about His sacrificial death in our stead (Luke 23: 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do), Christ’s statement ‘they know not what they do’ refers back to Isaiah 6:10 concerning the blinding of Israel. “Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” (NOTE: A remnant of Israel remains blind/deaf in Romans 11:25 and remains so today. These continue to wait for fulfillment of the prophesy concerning Elias the Forerunner of Messiah. John the Baptist was/is Elias. Matthew 11:11,13-15 / 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: not withstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 25 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Revelations 11:3-13, records the prophecy of the blinders coming off the ‘remnant’ of Israel at the hearing of the God ordained ‘gospel of the kingdom; from the mouths of the Two Witnesses -Moses and Elias/Elijah (Forerunner of both the First and Second Coming). The gospel of the kingdom is the gospel preached by Christ /Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” But the blinded/deafened remnant could not/did not hear/understand the gospel. Gem among gems in the Word is Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness unto ALL nations; and then shall the end come. These two, Moses and Elias were seen with Christ at the Mount of Transfiguration. God buried Moses and a grave was not found. Jude 9th verse records ‘Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him railing accusations, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.’ And what Michael says, Michael gets. Moses body did not see corruption. Thus, Moses was seen in a transfigured body with Christ and Elias/Elijah. Elias/Elijah was taken to the heavens in a chariot of fire. Clearly, Moses with Elias are held in store for the end of the world event. Revelations 11:13 ‘the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
ADD GOD BURIED MOSES BUT GRAVE NOT FOUND
” Revelations 11:13
. Death of the soul is unspeakable in its vileness. Death is the place of no Light – a place void of even the flicker of a candle – a place of blindness where there is not even the hope of life ever again since life requires Light. Death is a place void of Life …Eden’s opposite. Death separates the soul from Light and Life in God. Within its confines, death reeks of suicidal desolation and hopelessness. Even Legion preferred dwelling within swine over being sent back to the dry place of Death. Knowing the depths of Death, Christ’s heart agonized before the Father. ‘ And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ Matt 26:39. The horror of it was such that Christ sweated so extensively that what little water was left in His body became mingled with blood. Weakness from dehydration was extensive but angels came and ministered to Him…sustained Him….loved Him. Christ points us to Jonah for a better understanding of Death, Burial, and Resurrection. . God appointed Jonah to carry the gospel to Nineveh (wicked world). But first…God would teach Jonah about death, burial, and resurrection. He would teach Jonah of desolation, of being cast out of God’s sight, and of redemption. Aboard the ship of idol worshipers bound for Tarshish (Jonah chapter one), Jonah willing gave himself to death so the power of God would be manifested to the lost souls on board the ship. His sacrifice calmed the storm and the heathen acknowledged the God of Jonah. Drowned in the raging water a great fish..sent from God..swallowed Jonah. Physically dead, Jonah’s soul cries out to God about the horror of death…of being cast out of God’s sight…and of faith in the giver of Life. Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, 2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. ‘ For Jonah, death was from drowning as he gave himself to save those on board; burial was entombment in the great fish prepared by God which carried him deepest parts of the physical earth; resurrected to the land of the living…to dry land. Now He understood desolation, bondage, and the power of God to redeem from death. . Jonah carried the God empowered message to Nineveh. They heard and repented!! Jonah’s journey to ‘the bottom of the mountains’ was only a type of the ‘center of the earth’ journey ordained for the soul of Christ….as His body lay uncorrupted in the tomb. Christ spoke of Jonah, , ‘ Matt 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” WOW! WOW!! Be clear! By Christ’s own mouth, Jonah’s death, burial, and resurrection is a type which points to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Jonah’s sacrificial death is a type of Christ’s death. Jonah died willingly by drowning. Christ died willingly by crucifixion. Jonah became entombed in a great fish. Christ became entombed in a large rock. Jonah’s soul was cast out of God’s sight and suffered saying ‘ I am cast out of thy sight.’ Christ affirmed a deeper horror by saying ‘My God…why hast thou forsaken me?’ God brought Jonah from the belly of hell’ to Life. Isaiah 53:9 affirms, And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.’ ‘Crucifixion (physical death) is the least of it! Death ( grave with the wicked and rich) is the horror of it. Resurrection (seated again at the right hand of the Father) is the finishing of it. I insist that Christ would not have sweated ‘as it were drops of blood’ and required sustenance from ministering angels…if He anticipated merely a physical death. What agony could there be in knowing the earthly visit was nearing completion after which He would again be glorified….returned to the Father? And if nothing happened during the three days…if Christ lay dead within the tomb…why did Isaiah 53:9 say he ‘made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death?’ If He did make his grave with the wicked and the rich….Luke 16: 22-24 clearly describes the grave of the rich as hell. If Christ did not suffer a horror worthy of His agony in the Garden, why did Paul refer to David’s prophecy in Acts 2:27 …’Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption?’ …corruption meaning Christ’s physical body would not decay and return to dust. David’s words prophesied about Christ. Read Acts 2:25-37 which refers to David’s prophecy in Psalms 16:10. And Christ clearly told us to see the death, entombment, and resurrection of Jonah as a type of His own(Jonah 2:1). Subsequently, how can we know of the desolate, outcast, and hellish plight of Jonah and insist that Christ, the true Lamb of God, did not suffer horrors during the three days and nights in Death? By the sustaining power of God, Christ endured the large iron spikes driven between bones in his hands and feet since. The spikes would plug the wounds and prevent blood loss and death would come slowly….usually by dehydration since the large spikes plugged the wound to prevent blood loss and to extend suffering. To affirm the foreknowledge of God ..Christ died before the executioners came back to complete their task of breaking the bones of the condemned to carry out death. (Joh 19:36 ‘For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken). Too, Christ’s blood was not shed until after He ‘made his grave with the wicked and the rich’ and after He poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors..Isa 53:12. Christ was already physically dead and experiencing the agony of spiritual death when the executioners returned …pierced His side..and watched blood and water flow from the empty earthen vessel that had housed the Son of God. John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.. The two large crossed beams and the method of execution (crucifixion) is generally the focus of Christ’s suffering. But only by divine revelation can one know and acknowledged the depths and agony of His sacrifice…know the price of giving His pure and perfect soul to the vileness of death… in our stead. We have not heard His loud and agonizing cry ‘ Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” Knowing I am bought with the price of Christ’s soul…woe is promised me if I ‘neglect so great a salvation.
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