“and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Cor. 10:4, NKJV)
The previous teaching took us on a substantial detour! Let us briefly summarise the main thoughts we’ve been articulating so that we can continue this discussion:
- In an overarching sense we are examining the concept of regeneration, of becoming born again, with Matt. 19:28 as point of departure. The most important finding in relation to this is that there is clearly a link between the regeneration of man and the important role that it plays in terms of the restoration of all things on earth. Through the regeneration of the fallen man, the earth too is regenerated or recreated!
- The latter can ONLY happen through the seed of Christ that is planted within believers, through becoming born again (Gal. 3:16). This mystery is great (Eph. 5:32), as it is through “the new man” with which you are clothed when you become born again, that you are also “renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created [you]” (Col. 3:10-11). Nothing can change except through the seed of Christ in the regenerated man.
- In our exploration of this we know that before he fell, man was the image of the perfect spiritual being, a replica of God’s nature, and that man’s spirit returns to this state once he becomes born again: he again has the untarnished spirit of the original not-yet-fallen man.
- There is an irrevocable link between man and the eternal dust of the earth from which he was created. That earth is very real, but invisible (2 Cor. 4:18).
- We need to make a distinction between things that are “visible and invisible” (Col. 1:16). This means that all things, created as well as manufactured things, also exist, in their form of thingness, in the invisible realm – there they are eternal and immortal! In the invisible spiritual realm there are people, mountains, animals and chariots that are identifiable and distinguishable.
- There exist elements in the spiritual realm that are not found in the physical realm – the one realm is not an exact duplicate of the other.
- We concluded the teachings with the example of Moses who struck the Rock, and that 1 Cor. 10:4 presents the following: “For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” We continue with this mystery in the next teaching.
- Selah: Please ponder this information.
- Read: 58-60.
- Memorise: 59:9 (again such lovely synchronicity, keeping Zion in mind!).
