The Verse Chain Game

**Richard Amiel McGough** · 06-08-2007, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by arnion

The contrast of our position and the perfection of our Savior is a treat to ponder. And the Bible helps do that. This verse catches my mind tonight:

The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever. -NLT Hebrews 7:28

Why? Because the verse this comes from in Hebrews chapter 7 here is a perfect number...
28 = the sum of it's factors = 1 + 2 + 4 + 7 + 14

A verse number mnemonic! Good choice, Arnion. I love it. Both the chapter number 7 and the verse number 28 are related to perfection in different ways (7 as a symbolic number, and 28 as a mathematically perfect number because it equals the sum of its divisors) and the numbers are further related by the fact that 28 is the seventh triangular number, Tri(7) = 28, and both these numbers relate to Genesis 1:1 which God composed with 7 words and 28 letters! I could go on ... <snicker>. I think I'll start a thread on Bible structure mnemonics.

Getting back to the verse chain, here is a reminder about what our High Priest and Saviour had to suffer for us:

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Richard

**Rose** · 06-08-2007, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by arnion

The contrast of our position and the perfection of our Savior is a treat to ponder. And the Bible helps do that. This verse catches my mind tonight:

The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever. -NLT Hebrews 7:28

Why? Because the verse this comes from in Hebrews chapter 7 here is a perfect number...
28 = the sum of it's factors = 1 + 2 + 4 + 7 + 14

I couldn't resist also quoting from Hebrews, one of my favorite books in the Bible.

Hebrews 12: 23 " to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,"

**Richard Amiel McGough** · 06-09-2007, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by Rose

I couldn't resist also quoting from Hebrews, one of my favorite books in the Bible.

Hebrews 12: 23 " to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,"

Hey, that links to one of my favorites! I have to quote the whole passage, since one verse just doesn't do justice to the doctrine of the Deity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Colossians 1:15-18 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

**Victor** · 06-09-2007, 02:02 PM

Colossians 1:15-18 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

**Richard Amiel McGough** · 06-09-2007, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Victor

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Very nice, also one of my favorites. Did you notice that your verse also shares the idea of "image" - only now its we made in the image of Christ, and in Colossians it was Christ who is the image of God. Nice sequence.

Its a good thing we don't have to worry about getting there!

Romans 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

**Victor** · 06-09-2007, 02:42 PM

Did you notice that your verse also shares the idea of "image"?

No! I was thinking in "Aleph" terms, not in Beth! Firstborn is linked to Spoke 1 because of its preeminence (aleph), but it also touches on Spoke 2 - Boker, Exo 4:22.

Both Col 1 and Romans share the image theme, which is more closely linked to Two and Bet. It is a repeating pattern: many times Spoke 1 encloses themes linked to Spoke 2, like The First Commandment (with its reference to "other gods", amplified in the Second), the First Day (where we find the first "division" (though its a secondary feature of that day)) and Deutero-Isaiah, where we find many concepts related to the number 2, like Image and idols.

But back to Spoke 1:

Romans 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Predestination is an Aleph concept!

**Richard Amiel McGough** · 06-09-2007, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by Victor

No! I was thinking in "Aleph" terms, not in Beth! Firstborn is linked to Spoke 1 because of its preeminence (aleph), but it also touches on Spoke 2 - Boker, Exo 4:22.

Both Col 1 and Romans share the image theme, which is more closely linked to Two and Bet. It is a repeating pattern: many times Spoke 1 encloses themes linked to Spoke 2, like The First Commandment (with its reference to "other gods", amplified in the Second), the First Day (where we find the first "division" (though its a secondary feature of that day)) and Deutero-Isaiah, where we find many concepts related to the number 2, like Image and idols.

I agree. The consecutive letters have many "links" and overlaps. You have touched upon an ancient idea. The image below is from Aryeh Kaplan's translation of the Bahir, one of the oldest Jewish book outside of Scripture, which discusses the reasons for the shapes of the letters. It explains "Aleph" as a containing Bet within itself (represented by the white part at the top):

Note that the Bahir speaks of man formed by God "with wisdom". That is B'Chokmah in Hebrew, and it links back to Genesis 1:1 because Reshith links to Wisdom because Ps 111:10 says Reshit Chokmah Yireh YHVH (The Beginning of Wisdom is the Fear of the Lord), but this also can be read as Reshit (Beginning) is Wisdom, which then connects Creation and the First word Bereshith with the verse that says God create everything with His Wisdom:

Psalm 104:24 24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom (b'chokmah) hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

We could have quite a thread on these topics. Obviously, I'm going to have to create a sub-forum so we can sort out the good from the bad of the Jewish tradition, since I know that many folks will stumble over any reference to it at all.

But getting back to your post ...

Originally Posted by Victor

But back to Spoke 1:

Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

Predestination is an Aleph concept!

OK! Here, I'll take a word from your verse, namely adoption, and also link it to the ultimate Aleph concept of God the Father!

Romans (Spoke 1) 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Av, the first word of the Hebrew language, proclaims the nature of the Triune God who designed it!

**Victor** · 06-11-2007, 11:31 PM

Thank you Richard!

Romans (Spoke 1) 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

**Richard Amiel McGough** · 06-12-2007, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Victor

Thank you Richard!

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

**gilgal** · 06-15-2007, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by RAM

Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Daniel 4:20
The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;