Title: Daily and Yearly Preparation for Heaven
Topic: Salvation
Summary: The daily sacrifices, weekly sabbaths, and three annual feasts prescribed in the Old Testament are a picture of how to prepare for heaven.
Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.
References:
2 Peter 2:22, 10
Numbers 28:1
Exodus 23:14, 17
Leviticus 23:1, 5, 10, 33
Deuteronomy 16:1, 9, 13-14
Luke 6:1
Acts of the Apostles 2:1; 20:16
Nehemiah 8:13-14
Ezekiel 45:21, 25
Zechariah 14:16
John 7:2, 37
261 - Daily and Yearly Preparation for Heaven
By Jonathan S. Rose
Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 5/4/2016. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com
John 7
1
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
2
Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
3
His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4
For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
5
For neither did his brethren believe in him.
6
Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
7
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
8
Go ye up unto this feast: I Go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
9
When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
10
But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
11
Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
12
And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
13
Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
14
Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15
And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
16
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
18
He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
19
Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
20
The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
21
Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
22
Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
23
If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
24
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
25
Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
26
But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
27
Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
28
Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
29
But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
30
Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
31
And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
32
The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
33
Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
34
Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
35
Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
36
What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
37
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
40
Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41
Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43
So there was a division among the people because of him.
44
And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
45
Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?
46
The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
47
Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?
48
Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
49
But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
50
Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)
51
Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
52
They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
Arcana Coelestia #8568
8568. 'And the people thirsted there for water' means an increase in the desire for truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'thirsting' as craving and desiring, and as having reference to truth just as 'hungering' has reference to good; and from the meaning of 'water' as the truth of faith, dealt with above in 8562. The fact that 'thirsting' is craving and desiring - desiring truth, meant by 'water' - is plainly evident from a large number of places in the Word, such as in Amos,
Behold, the days are going to come, in which I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah. And they will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; and they will run to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah, and will not find it. On that day the beautiful virgins and the young men will faint for thirst. Amos 8:11-13.
The desire to know the truth is described here by 'thirsting'. The desire for truth is meant by 'I will not send a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah' and by 'they will run to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah'. The lack of truth and a resulting deprivation of spiritual life is described by 'on that day the beautiful virgins and the young men will faint for thirst', 'the beautiful virgins' being those with affections for good, and 'the young men' those with affections for truth.
[2] In Isaiah,
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy [and] eat! Come and buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.
'Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters' plainly stands for one desiring the truths of faith. 'Buying wine and milk without price' stands for acquiring from the Lord, thus for nothing, the good and truth of faith. For the meaning of 'the waters' as the truth of faith, see above in 8562; for 'wine' as the good of faith, 6377; and also 'milk', 2184. Anyone may see that 'going to the waters and buying wine and milk' is not used to mean the acquisition of wine and milk, but the kinds of things that belong to heaven and the Church.
[3] The like occurs in John,
To him who thirsts I will give from the spring of the water of life for nothing. Revelation 21:6.
'The spring of the water of life' stands for the truth and good of faith. 'The thirsting one' stands for one desiring them from affection for them, as accords with the Lord's words in John,
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but he who drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life. John 4:13-14.
'Water' here plainly stands for the truth of faith obtained from the Word, and so from the Lord; and 'not thirsting' stands for his being never again in want of truth.
[4] Something similar appears elsewhere in John,
Jesus said, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35.
And in the same gospel,
Jesus cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water. John 7:37-38.
'Thirsting stands for desiring truth, 'drinking for receiving instruction, and 'rivers of living water' for Divine Truth that flows from the Lord alone.
[5] In Isaiah,
To the thirsty bring water, O inhabitants of the land of Tema; meet with his bread the fugitive. Isaiah 21:14.
'To the thirsty bring water' stands for giving instruction in truths to one desiring them, and so refreshing the life of his soul. In the same prophet,
The fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against Jehovah; to empty the soul of the hungry one, and to cause the drink of the thirsting one to fail. Isaiah 32:6.
'The hungry one' stands for one desiring good, and 'one thirsting for drink' for one desiring truth.
[6] In the same prophet,
The poor and the needy are seeking water, but there is none; their tongue is parched with thirst. I will open streams on the sloping heights, and I will place springs in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into wellsprings of water. Isaiah 41:17-18.
It is perfectly clear to anyone that 'seeking water' is seeking truth, that
'being parched with thirst' is being deprived of spiritual life owing to the lack of truth, and that 'streams, springs, a pool, and wellsprings of water' are the truths of faith in which they are to receive instruction.
In the same prophet,
Say, Jehovah has redeemed His servant Jacob. At that time they will not thirst; in waste places He will lead them. He will make water flow for them from the rock; and He will cleave the rock so that water flows out. Isaiah 48:20-21.
'They will not thirst' stands for their having no lack of truths; here 'water' plainly stands for the truths of faith.
[7] In the same prophet,
They will not hunger, nor will they thirst, nor will heat or the sun strike them; for the One having mercy on them will lead them, so that also by the wellsprings of water He will lead them. Isaiah 49:10.
'They will not hunger' stands for their having no lack of good, 'they will not thirst' for their having no lack of truth. 'Wellsprings of water' stands for cognitions of truth out of the Word.
[8] Something similar occurs in Moses,
Jehovah was leading you through a great and frightening wilderness, with serpents, fiery snakes, and scorpions, and dry places where there was no water; and He brought water for you out of the rock of the crag. Deuteronomy 8:15.
In Isaiah,
Behold, your God will come. At that time waters will break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the plain of the wilderness; and the dry place will become a pool and the thirsty ground wellsprings of water. Isaiah 35:4, 6-7.
'Waters in the wilderness which will break forth', 'streams', 'a pool', and
'wellsprings of water' plainly stand for the truths of faith and cognitions of those truths, which would be received from the Lord when He came into the world.
[9] In David,
O God, [You are] my God; in the morning I seek You. My soul thirsts for You; my flesh in a dry land longs for You, and I am weary without water. Psalms 63:1.
Here 'thirsting' has reference to truth, and 'I am weary without water' stands for the fact that there are no truths. 'Thirst' stands for a lack of truth and the resulting deprivation of spiritual life in Isaiah,
Therefore My people will go into exile because they have no knowledge, and their honourable men will be famished, 1 and their multitude parched with thirst. Isaiah 5:13.
In the same prophet,
I make the rivers into a desert; their fish become putrid because there is no water, and they will die of thirst. Isaiah 50:2.
[10] From all this one may now see what is meant in the present chapter by there was no water for the people to drink, verse 1; by their saying, Give us water and let us drink, verse 2; by the people thirsted there for water, verse 3; and by the declaration that water would come out of the rock, verse 6. All of this makes it clear that their grumbling because of the lack of water means temptation arising from a lack of truth. For when a person enters temptation because of a lack of truth he is gripped by an intense desire for it, and at the same time by despair of eternal salvation on account of this. These feelings are responsible for the grief at that time and for the complaining.
Footnotes:
1. literally, their glory will be men (homo) of famine
