Bully's Blog » Korah

Ashes and Smoke

Mike Bull — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:36:29 +0000

Okay, so The Earth is Flat after all. The Atlar’s being a symbol of the mediatorial Land, (a priesthood between the heavenly sky and Gentile sea) is the key to a fair amount of weird stuff in the Bible. It also means that a lot of what goes on in the Torah is the key to understanding some later enigmatic events.

The Bronze Altar had a grate inside it to support the sacrifice. The ashes would fall through the holes in the grate and the smoke would rise as a pleasing aroma to God.

In Numbers 16, concerning the rebellion of Korah and his sons, after the “censer” showdown between them and Aaron, the ground opened up and swallowed their tents, all their belongings and their families. However, fire consumed the wannabe priests who were offering the “false” incense. Even the rebellion was divided according to the priestly divisions within Israel. Ashes and smoke. [1]

The rebels’ bronze censers were hammered out to make a covering for the altar, a memorial to their rebellion. Even their priestly possessions were “consumed” by this “Land.” The demise of these false priests was glorifying to God.

We see the same thing in Zechariah 14, except that because the Tabernacle “tower to heaven” is laid out on the ground, it is west-east instead of up-down. The Altar-mountain is split in two, the saints ascend into the Holy Place (to the East) and the rebels are swallowed as ashes.

Why is the Altar/Land/Mountain split in two? To make way for a new one. Jesus dies, the veil (the firmament) is torn and the rocks (the Altar-Land) are split. Jesus’ spirit is given up to God and then He takes our sins into the earth. Tombs open and saints are resurrected as a witness. Of course, this entire event is kind of “liturgical”—a microcosmic precursor—of events that would occur on a greater scale one generation later.

The saints under the Altar cried for vengeance upon a corrupted priesthood that had shed their blood since the death of Abel. Releasing them would require the breaking up of the old Altar-Land. They were told to wait until living saints were sealed—and slain—before they could ascend. Just as the death of Jesus as head split the rocks, the death of martyrs in Jerusalem would split the entire city. [2]

In AD70, the Herodian sons of Korah were swallowed by the Land, falling through the grate as ashes. The Old Testament saints and the New Covenant rulers—the Apostles—ascended as smoke, a pleasing aroma. This was the first resurrection. [3]

And, just as the judgments upon Jerusalem in Revelation 6-19 were a sign to the infant churches of Asia (who already contained the seeds of the same sins), the glory of the false priesthood became a memorial to any of us who would challenge the true High Priest.

The same thing happens in Revelation 20 at the second resurrection—the one we are looking forward to. Fire falls from heaven and makes a division. The World-Altar is split as a final judgment to make way for the physical New Earth.

Are you ashes or smoke? Either way it is death, a memorial to obedience or disobedience. Either way, sin is covered and God is glorified.

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[1] An adulterous would be stoned (split rocks), but an adulterous daughter of a priest would be stoned and then burnt. Notice the harlot in Revelation would be burnt with fire. She was not Rome but Herod’s Jerusalem Inc.
[2] See also Splitting Rocks , The Peskiest Chapter in the Bible, The Falling Away, God Indivisible
[3] See The First Resurrection

Wandering Stars

Mike Bull — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:17:33 +0000

The astral bodies signified those who are glorified and exalted. While this is true of all the saints, it is also true of all human rulers as well. Revelation 1:20 says that the rulers of the church are like stars, and Jude 13 says that apostate teachers are “wandering stars.” —James B. Jordan, Through New Eyes, p. 55.

Jude’s epistle follows the themes of the Bible matrix. In Adam’s pattern, the first half (forming) was good, but he forfeited the glories of the last half (filling). Like God, he was to create with a faithful Covenant word. His failure made him a false prophet, one who cries “peace, peace” when Leviathan is at the gate.

Jude’s pattern is the opposite. The first half is mostly bad, and ends with the apostates as stars in the centre (Day 4/wilderness). This is because Israel was threshed under the new Law, beginning at Pentecost (the Law of Moses was given at Pentecost). Those who were true Jews, with circumcised hearts, were separated from the false ones. Peter was sifted like wheat and so was Israel.

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. (Romans 9:6-8)

As in Deuteronomy, a new generation is a new beginning, a new “resurrection” body. The old Tabernacle was torn apart and a new Tabernacle was built, as Eve was constructed from bone and flesh from Adam.

Sabbath – Greeting/peace/Word (Genesis)
…..Passover – Saved out of Egypt (Exodus)
…..…..Firstfruits – Christ versus Satan re body of Moses
……….(Leviticus – Covenant head) [1]
…..…..…..Pentecost – Beasts, Cain, Balaam, Korah,
……………wandering stars (Numbers)
…..…..Trumpets – Ten thousand saints
……….(Deuteronomy – Covenant body)
…..Atonement – Mercy of Christ, make a distinction (two goats),
…..hating even the (linen) garment spotted by the flesh
Booths – Jude’s famous doxology

Interestingly, even the central “wilderness” condemnation follows the pattern. The first century Jews and Judaisers were the Old Creation:

Light – Word – Sabbath – Genesis
But these speak evil of whatever they do not know;
(False Ark)

Firmament – Human Hierarchy Set Apart – Passover – Exodus
and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
(False Veil: this step often involves the mediator falling as dead before God.
These men were bowed as beasts.)

Land Grain & Fruit Plants – Priesthood Established – Firstfruits – Leviticus
Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. (False Altar) These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves (False Table)

Governing Lights – Temptation in the Wilderness – Pentecost – Numbers
They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; (False Lampstand, ie. false wind/spirit)

Swarms – A New Generation – Trumpets – Deuteronomy
late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
(False Incense. Their “spiritual offspring” were twice the children of Gehenna)

High Priest – Stands on crystal sea (Laver) – Atonement – Joshua
raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame;
(False Mediator: like Adam, they have no true covering)

Shekinah Glory – Covenant Succession – Booths – Judges
wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
(Their generations are cut off from the Covenant tree)

As the first century pattern was completed during the Jewish War, the wandering stars of the Jewish polity became falling stars. Like those who refer to themselves as Jews today, they defiantly remain in the darkness of the Old Covenant, despite the fact that the Sun of Righteousness has risen. [2]

So the literary structure of Jude looks like this:

Old Creation:
1
…..2
……….3
……………4:1
………………….2
……………0……….3
……………0………….:4
……………0……….5
………………….6
………………7

New Creation:
……….5
…..6
7

The sevenfold “Lampstand” at the centre of the pattern is the same one that confronted Adam in the Garden, the false Law-light of the accuser. In Revelation, the seven stars in Jesus’ right hand are Christian pastors.

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[1] On “the body of Moses” as the Old Covenant church see Peter J. Leithart, Michael’s Dispute with the Devil.
On Christ as Michael, see James Jordan, Esther: Historical & Chronological Comments IV.
[2] For more on Old Covenant darkness, see The End of Shadows.

Church and State

Mike Bull — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:32:59 +0000

or Theonomy in the Bible

“…instead of Moses and Aaron challenging the powers that be, we have Herodian preachers crying “Peace, peace” when there is no peace. Nathan is not qualified to confront David because Nathan himself has been sleeping around.”

In his post Christianity as Comprehensive Cultural Tribunal?, timsmartt questions the validity of philosophy’s self-appointed role as an unbiased cultural referee and wonders whether Christianity should take that role:

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The Falling Away

Mike Bull — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:04:16 +0000

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

Non-dispensationalists are often accused of “Replacement Theology,” that is, the church replaced Israel. But we find in the Old Testament many examples of the same process prefiguring what the people of God went through in the first century. It is not replacement, but transformation.

James Jordan writes:

When God called Israel out of Egypt, most of the people refused to follow Him and died in the wilderness. The old Hebrew people ceased to exist and were transformed into Israel, their new name. (I have discussed this succession of names in my book, Through New Eyes.)

The Israel that entered into the promised land was a new people made up of a mixture of Hebrews and converted gentiles, the mixed multitude. Their leaders were Joshua, a converted Hebrew, and Caleb, a converted gentile Kenizzite (Gen. 15:19; Josh. 14:6). (By “conversion” I mean that they entered the Mosaic Covenant.) According to Numbers 13:6, Caleb’s family had not only been adopted into the tribe of Judah, but had risen to prominence in it.

This event is directly analogous to the New Testament situation. The wilderness wanderings lasted 40 years, as did the span between A.D. 30 and 70. The Jews were called by Jesus and the apostles, and many converted (that is, they entered the New Covenant). Some reverted to Judaism, turning into apostate Judaisers, and like the apostates in Moses’ day, they “died in the wilderness by A.D. 70. Meanwhile, many “mixed multitudes” gentiles joined the kingdom. By A.D. 70, it was time to enter the promised land, and the old Jewish people ceased to exist, being transformed into Christians, their new name.

The same kind of event happened at the Exile. A study of the book of Ezekiel will show that God called His people out of Judea into the wilderness of exile, where He tabernacled with them. The people were given a choice: either move forward with God or perish by looking backward to the old ways. During the time of exile, as we have seen, many gentiles were converted into the nation. By the time the Exile was over, and the people returned to the Promised Land, the old Israel ceased to exist, being transformed into Jews, their new name.

Let us return to the Mosaic transition and examine the phenomenon of “falling away.” At Mount Sinai, all the people accepted the new Mosaic Covenant. Before too long, however, a large group of people were objecting to one of the most distinctive features of the Mosaic Covenant. During patriarchal times, any man might offer sacrifice at an altar to God, but the worship of the Tabernacle was “closer” to God and therefore holier and more dangerous. It is dangerous for a sinner to get too close to the Consuming Fire, and so the only people allowed to approach the new Mosaic altar were the priests, who were specially ordained and anointed for this purpose. God forbade all sacrifice except that conducted at the Tabernacle, which meant that the Hebrew people were no longer permitted to build and sacrifice at altars.

As it became clear that the people had “lost” this “right,” those who did not perceive that the Mosaic Covenant was in fact more glorious than the Abrahamic Covenant had been, rebelled. Their argument was that “all the people are holy and all are priests” (Ex. 19:6) and that Moses and Aaron were exalting themselves over the congregation (Numbers 16-17). They were drawing the wrong inferences from Exodus 19:6 because they were clinging to the older covenant.

This group of rebels is closely paralleled by the Judaisers of the New Testament era. The Judaisers were people who became Christians, and then realised that the leaders of the Christian community were changing the rules on them. Just as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram did not want to give up the old Hebrew ways in order to become Israelites, so the Judaisers did not want to give up the old Jewish ways in order to become Christians.

Just as Korah and company accused Moses and Aaron of inventing their own religion, so the Judaisers accused Paul. Just as many of the Israelites in Moses’ day wanted to return to Egypt, so the Judaisers wanted to return to Judaism. This is the “falling away” to which the New Testament refers a number of times.1

“Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” (Jude 1:11)

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1 James B. Jordan, The Future of Israel Re-examined, here, in issues 13-15.

Fool’s Gold

Mike Bull — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:12:41 +0000

The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the [Land] came to the help of the woman, and the [Land] opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. (Revelation 12:15-17)

Satan mimicked the expanding gospel dominion with counterfeits at every step. Here, not only did he forge the water chariots of the true Temple (a false baptism), he would bring Noahic “rest” to the Land by destroying God’s mighty men. He would bring about his own twisted “new earth” by deluging the church with bogus teaching.

His plan backfired. “The Land” swallowed the false worship, alluding to Korah’s rebellion. These Jews had heard the gospel but would not obey it. They could not stomach an undefiled religion that stood against oppression (James 1:27). Israel was specifically accountable before God in a way that other nations were not: for her treatment of the poor (Exodus 22:21-24). This was the major charge Amos had brought against a previous Israel, and the reason for the death of that nation.

Like the saints, the unbelievers had drunk the pure water of Christ (2 Peter 1:4), but in their lusts their faith was choked by thorns and thistles. The true woman passed the jealous inspection by eating the scroll and becoming fruitful. However, to the false woman the riches of Christ became a cup of destruction (Numbers 5). Instead of living waters flowing from her belly (John 7:38), she vomited up the kingdom and her subsequent barrenness exposed her adultery.

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:4-8)

The rich desired a different cup—a glory they could see. Like Esau, they gobbled down fool’s gold—false glory—and sold their eternal inheritance—resurrection “mansions”—for houses and lands. They “ascended” to receive Satan’s Oral Law scroll from Herod’s throne for a religion they could stomach, and sent out Wormwood chariots (Jeremiah 23:15). But they would not be able to keep down this false gospel, the gold and silver for which they sold the Son of God. Like Judas, their bowels would be torn open for buying land with the rewards of iniquity (Acts 1:18). In AD70, Jews—dead or alive—were cut open and searched by Syrians and Romans scavenging for the gold that many had swallowed before attempting to escape the siege.1

…Though evil is sweet in his mouth, though he hides it under his tongue, though he is loath to let it go and holds it in his mouth, yet his food is turned in his stomach; it is the venom of cobras within him. He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly. He will suck the poison of cobras; the tongue of a viper will kill him. He will not look upon the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds. He will give back the fruit of his toil and will not swallow it down; from the profit of his trading he will get no enjoyment. For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build. (Job 20:12-19)

This was a charge from Zophar, who accused Job of being a self-exalting hypocrite, one who in his head arrogantly ascended “to the clouds” in defiance of death, but who would perish like his own dung (Job 20:1-11). Like the boys from Bethel, these Jews ridiculed the ascension of Christ and scoffed at God’s prophets, the men who reminded them of Jesus’ words concerning the real flood that was coming to bring a real new Land with true peace (Daniel 9:26; Luke 17:26-27).

For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

Like Adam, they lost both the flowing “honey and curds” kingdom and the riches they had sold Him for.

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See Josephus, The Jewish War, 5:13:4. Available for download from www.ccel.org