Moby Dick is considered one of the greatest American novels. and is often used to teach the fundamentals of literature because of its rich symbology. It’s no surprise that Moby Dick’s characterizations are exclusively drawn from biblical characters which are absolutely loaded with symbolism.
Take the opening sentence “Call me Ishmael”. At the time Herman Melville wrote his novel, American society was still steeped in 2,000 years of European Christianity, so “Ishmael” was instantly recognized as “Outcast.” In Moby Dick, the characters, in addition to performing a role within the plot, also represent abstract concepts.
This is exactly how the Bible maintained its essential teaching role throughout 6,000 years of changing times, history, and cultures.
Not only did they both become mortal as the inevitable effect of the fruit’s action in their bodies, but sexual changes also occurred making male and female.
“And the LORD God said unto the serpent…I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Anyone in any culture understands that bruising a serpent’s head is a crushing injury that permanently destroys.
In this context, the character of the serpent, like the characters in Moby Dick, not only performs a role of inflicting death, but also represents the abstract concept of death. The “Death” Adder is so-called because, until the development of Death Adder antivenom in Australia in 1958, death from envenomation was estimated to be ~50%.
In contrast to smashing a head which destroys, wounding a heel only disables.
The Adams’ lives were not utterly destroyed in the same sense of a crushing head injury, but only crippled in the sense of an Achilles’ tendon injury affecting daily life. Despite experiencing death as a consequence of consuming the poison in the fruit, human life was perpetuated by regeneration as a form of antivenom.
This is glaringly apparent in our day-to-day observations of
- the daily regeneration of worn-out cells and damaged tissues of human bodies.
- the addition of millions of brand new cells in the growth of children,
- the development of new muscle tissue and neurons of trained athletes.
When Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, i.e. Supreme Court judge interpreting the Mosaic Law, came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, “Rabbi”, i.e. simple teacher far below his level of expertise, “we”, i.e. the entire assemblage of supreme court judges are unanimous in their decision, “know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him;” Jesus perfunctorily waived him off in answering “Except”, i.e. “Not so.”
Hyper dimensional miracles can be performed through evil spirits as documented in the account of the Exodus, something even the children in Torah school knew let alone Masters of the Torah.
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see / be part of the kingdom of God.” (John 3)
This may be the first time the phrase “born again” is used in Holy Scripture, but it most certainly is not a new Christian concept distinct from Jewish teaching, as Nicodemus well knew. This becomes clearer when we translate the English word “born” back into its Greek language and recognize the English transliteration of this same Greek word into “generate” and “Genesis / Beginning”.
Original Word: γεννάω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: gennaó
Phonetic Spelling: (ghen-nah’-o)
Definition: to beget, to bring forth
Usage: I beget (of the male), (of the female) I bring forth, give birth to.
The connection is specifically made in King James’ translation of Jesus’ statement of the kingdom of God to his disciples that “in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28)
3824 paliggenesía (from 3825 /pálin, “again” and 1078 /génesis, “birth, beginning”) – properly, the coming of new birth because “born again“; regeneration.
3824 /paliggenesía (“renewal, rebirth”) is used twice in the NT referring to: a) the re-birth of physical creation at Christ’s return (Advent), which inaugurates His millennial kingdom (Mt 19:28; cf. Ro 8:18-25); and b) the re-birth all believers experience at conversion (Tit 3:5).
So Jesus is not teaching a new Christian concept, but reminding Nicodemus of the most basic tenant of the Hebrew faith of re-generation.
Belief in the resurrection of the dead explains why Jacob and Joseph wanted to be buried in the Promised Land – so that they would find themselves among their people in that future time when Shiloh, or “the sent one“, the Promised One / the Redeemer / the Christ, gathers the people, i.e. uplifts newly created bodies with their souls back out of the earth.
“And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days…The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering [resurrection] of the people be…And Joseph said unto his brethren…God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying…ye shall carry up my bones from hence.”(Genesis 49;2-20; 50:2-5, 24-26)
Most of all, as we learn from Paul’s replicated confrontation some years later, Jesus is confronting Nicodemus with the major, most fundamental heresy being taught by the rulers of the Jews – that there is no resurrection.
“…when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.” (Acts 23:6-9)
Logically, once resurrection is denied, all the rest of the Torah’s testimony regarding humanity’s need for a redeemer from death is also thrown out. In that case, Judaism has absolutely no basis for a credible religion at all. And so Paul constantly harps on the doctrine of the resurrection – not because it was some new thing with Jesus Christ, but because it is the oldest and most fundamental basis for salvation.
“Behold, I shew you a mystery;” (I Corinthians 15:50)
Press pause. We need to interpret this phrase in the context of Paul’s audience.
Paul is being a tad snarky in reference to all the mystery religions being touted by a host of pagans. Essentially he is retorting: “You want a mystery? I’ll show you a mystery!”
“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (I Corinthians 15:50-52)
What Paul related was not a mystery to biblically literate Israel who knew Job’s famous declaration:
“Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!” (Job 19:23)
And his plea was granted.
The oldest clearly and unmistakably definite reference to re-generation from mortal to immortal is found in the oldest book of the Bible, written before Moses compiled the Torah. Because of the consistency between Job’s and Moses’ accounts of Creation, we can be assured that they both drew their information from the same source documents, now lost to us.
The Book of Job is not only the finest expression of the Hebrew poetic genius; it must also be accorded a place among the greatest masterpieces of world literature. The work is grouped with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes as a product of the wisdom movement…it is the supreme example among ancient texts of speculative wisdom in which a man attempts to understand and respond to the human situation in which he exists.
“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins [as with a horse, the controls, in this context nerves, observed in a dissected body as strings connecting the brain to every part of the body] be consumed within me [ashes to ashes, dust to dust].” (Job 19:25-27)
Job is waxing eloquent as he elaborates on Genesis 3:15:
The redeemer of mankind is alive now in the genetics of the Woman being passed down through all generations of humans.- He will take physical form at some time in history which will at that time become the latter day by ending time / death.
- To “stand” on the earth is not simply to be here, but to be in conquest as he wrests dominion from the enemy of mankind in his role as redeemer
- “them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image…stand” (Revelation 15:2)
- which involves reversing subjection to the enemy, most especially in the death that he embodies, through the resurrection of “my” skin / “my” flesh” into a hyper dimensional body able to “see God”,
- The the same soul who experienced disconnect from life will inhabit the new body, emphasized as “I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold and not another.
Job’s faith can be chalked up to
- the reports handed down from generation to generation by Adam of his creation and actions that brought about death,
- validation in experience of new life coming from mortal bodies in the form of children
- and observation of regeneration after death of vegetation over the seasons.
It is often taught that God never answered Job’s question “Why?” I disagree.
Ever work in an organization where there are office politics and rivals and pitfalls and back room maneuverings to climb the ladder? There is no orientation manual we can read to educate us beyond policies and procedures to the relational aspects of our job. It is only through shared experiences that we develop a more knowledgeable and effective working and personal relationship with our boss and his enemies. As we come to understand his motives, objectives and boundaries we no longer have to have every detail of our assigned tasks spelled out. We are entrusted with responsibility to handle problems by applying his thoughts and his ways to our responses. And we often have to take a hit as we cover his back during a strategic move by power-seeking adversaries. Yes, sometimes it feels like we have been abandoned, but when you think about how much trust our boss / God is putting in us, it’s very uplifting.
And Job gets it.
Job’s account, like any good literature, begins with, then wraps up with, a thesis. At the beginning we are informed that God and Satan begin a game of Risk. Then consider the last piece of information God gives Job as he replies to his questions:
“Canst thou draw out leviathan / the serpent with an hook?… he is a king over all the children of pride.” (Job 41)
“[No, but!] I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand [stance of victory] at the latter day upon the earth:” (Job 19:25)
Job’s faith in the promised destruction of the seed of the serpent by the seed of the woman proves that trusting in YHVH’s Ordained Redeemer is not a new means of salvation that came into existence when Jesus Christ died on the cross. YHVH was not taken off guard when his prototype humans used the freedom he gave them to explore their options, and suffered the consequences in their DNA, passed down to all their descendants. He didn’t have to scramble around to come up with Option B.
“the gospel according to the power of God…his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus / YHVH’s Chosen Savior before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (II Timothy 1:8-10)
“ye were…redeemed with…the precious blood of the Appointed One / Messiah / Christ…Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…” (I Peter 1:19-20)
“That which was from the beginning…the Word of life…was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;” (I John 1:1-2)
Speaking to an audience steeped in Greek logic, the biblical account of salvation from humanity’s dreadful state of death is presented as irrefutable logic.
- “as by one (hu)man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
- much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, YHVH’s Anointed Savior
- For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one;
- much more they…shall reign in life by one, YHVH’s Anointed Savior...which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
- Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
- even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
- For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners,
- so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5)
Notice that in this list contrasting the condition of
- sin, condemnation and death inherited by all humanity through identification with the human genome,
- righteousness, justification and life is obtained only by many because not all humans chose to identify with YHVH as Lord and King of Righteousness
“without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
For example:
- By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,
- By faith Noah…prepared an ark…
- By faith Abraham…offered up Isaac
- By faith Moses…forsook Egypt
- By faith Rahab…received the spies with peace
- And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell…” (Hebrews 11)
All these people were saved under the exact same conditions that New Covenant people are saved:
- “Not by works of righteousness which we have done
- building an ark, putting God before our children or riches or safety
- but according to his mercy he saved us
- not having received the promises of the destruction of sin and death through the Seed of the Woman, but were persuaded of them, and embraced them
- by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;” – (Titus 3:5-6)
- this is the process of regeneration!
The “washing and renewing” is not a new Christian religious quick fix with no effort made on behalf of the believer.
“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works…A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” (Titus 3:8-11)
By clearly applying this modus operandi to specific individuals referenced in the Bible who were neither Christian nor Jewish, this hermeneutically allows us to apply this to
- anyone in the world,
- at any era of history,
- to whatever degree the Infinity Almighty God’s desire to be in relationship with us is understood,
- with respect for and operation of the system in accordance with proper use and maintenance documented by the Owner of the Patent.
Kingdom Come 