THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE

The Mingling of Divinity with Humanity

Message One
The Mingling of Divinity with Humanity

Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:7-15; Eph. 4:4-6; Rev. 21:1-23; John 3:30; 1 Cor. 12:12; Rev. 22:17

I. The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament reveal the preparation for bringing forth Christ, the God-man, the complete God mingled with the perfect man, for the producing of the Body of Christ, the organism of the processed and consummated Triune God; the Body of Christ will consummate in the New Jerusalem as the eternal enlargement of Christ, the eternal mingling of the Triune God with the tripartite man—Matt. 1; Eph. 1—4; 4:4-6; Rev. 21:1-23; John 3:30; 1 Cor. 12:12.

II. Christ has two natures, divinity and humanity, mingled together in His one Person; during His life on earth, it was apparent that He was a genuine man; but many times it was manifest that He truly was God—Luke 9:56; 22:70:

A. This holy anointing oil, a compound ointment of olive oil and four spices, is a full type of the Spirit of Jesus Christ—Exo. 30:23-24:

1. The compound, all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit of the processed Triune God, whom Christ became through His death and resurrection—1 Cor. 15:45; cf. John 7:39, footnote 1; Phil. 1:19, footnote 1.

2. The blending of olive oil with the four spices signifies the compounding, the mingling, of God and man, of divinity and humanity, in the compound Spirit—cf. Lev. 2:4 and footnote 2.

3. The compounding of the four spices with the olive oil to make an anointing oil signifies the mingling of the above-mentioned elements with the Spirit of God through the process of Christ’s incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to produce the compound Spirit for the building of God’s eternal dwelling place—Exo. 30:26-28.

B. The three fragrant spices signify the Triune God in resurrection (the number three signifies both the Triune God and resurrection), and the addition of pure frankincense, making the number of ingredients four, signifies the humanity of Christ (the number four signifies man as God’s creature—Ezek. 1:5); the compounding of the four ingredients into one incense signifies the mingling of God with man, of divinity with humanity, in Christ as the incense—Exo. 30:34-36.

C. The mingling of fine flour with oil in the meal offering signifies that Christ’s humanity is mingled with the Holy Spirit and His human nature is mingled with God’s divine nature, making Him a God-man—Ezek. 1:4-5; Matt. 1:18b:

1. Christ is both the complete God and the perfect man, possessing the divine nature and the human nature distinctly, without a third nature being produced—Matt. 1:18b.

2. Through the divine mingling Christ’s humanity has been uplifted to the highest standard; in His divinity Christ has the divine attributes, and these divine attributes are expressed through, with, and in His human virtues—Luke 1:31; 2:49-51.

D. A garment worn by the high priest, was composed of golden and linen thread woven together—Exo. 288:

1. These two kinds of thread were not merely put side by side or piled one on the other; they were woven together into one textile; in this fabric both the golden thread and the linen thread could be seen; this also typifies the mingling of divinity and humanity in Christ.

2. The golden thread signifies Christ’s divinity, and the linen thread, His humanity; this weaving together of golden and linen thread in the ephod indicates that in Christ the two natures of divinity and humanity are not merely added together but woven together, mingled together.

3. Moreover, just as the weaving together of golden and linen thread did not produce a third substance, so the mingling of divinity and humanity in Christ does not nullify both divinity and humanity in order to produce a third nature.

E. That it is the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that enables us to live Christ, even to magnify Christ under any circumstances, that we may enjoy Him as the uttermost salvation; therefore, this is altogether a matter of the union and mingling of the processed Triune God, who has become the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit, and the spirit of us, the tripartite men, who are being transformed by such a Spirit—Phil. 1:19; 4:23.

III. Christ today is the Head of the Body, and we, His followers, are His members; as the Head He has two natures, and as His members we also have the same two natures; Christ, the Head, has divinity and humanity, and we, His members, also have humanity and divinity—John 1:12; Col. 1:18:

A. What Christ is and what Christ has we as His members also are and have; Christ has humanity as well as divinity, and we have divinity as well as humanity—1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:30.

B. This means that Christ and we who believe in Him and who are His members have two natures.

C. However, we would emphasize once again that the mingling of divinity with humanity in us does not produce a third nature; our humanity does not cease to exist; neither divinity nor humanity is nullified in the mingling—Luke 1:31.

IV. The addition of the divine element to our being at the time of regeneration marks the beginning of the mingling of divinity and humanity within us—2 Cor. 3:18; 4:7-15:

A. Now as saved and regenerated persons, we have two elements—the human element and the divine element; furthermore, we have the divine life as well as the human life, and the divine nature as well as the human nature; the element of divinity has been added into the element of our humanity—Rom. 8:11; 2 Pet. 1:4.

B. Once God has been added into our being, He begins to work within us; now we need to cooperate with God’s work, with His operation—Phil. 2:13.

V. We need to realize that every genuine Christian, every bona fide believer in Christ, is a person undergoing the mingling of the divine life and nature with the human life and nature—Gal. 2:20; Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18:

A. The divine life is not only mingled with our human life, but it is mingling with it; as a result, we are divine human beings—Gal. 2:20; John 15:4.

B. We praise the Lord that the process of mingling is still taking place within us—2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 12:2.

VI. The entire revelation of the Bible shows us the love story of a universal couple; that is, the sovereign Lord, who created the universe and all things, the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—who went through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, and who ultimately became the life-giving Spirit, is joined in marriage to the created, redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified tripartite man—composed of spirit, soul, and body—who ultimately constitutes the church, the expression of God; in the eternity that is without end, by the divine, eternal, and surpassingly glorious life, they will live a life that is the mingling of God and man as one spirit, a life that is superexcellent and that overflows with blessings and joy. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Rev. 22:17, footnote 1)

Ministry Excerpts:

CHRIST, THE GOD-MAN,
THE COMPLETE GOD MINGLED WITH THE PERFECT MAN

The history in the entire Old Testament is the Triune God’s preparation for the carrying out of His eternal economy. This preparation was initiated in a man, Adam (1:1—11:26), and eventually issued in three persons, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with Joseph (11:27—50:26), who resulted in one people, Israel (Exo.—Mal.). The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament reveal the preparation for bringing forth Christ, the God-man, the complete God mingled with the perfect man (Matt. 1), for the producing of the Body of Christ (Eph. 1—4), the organism of the processed and consummated Triune God (Eph. 4:4-6). The Body of Christ will consummate in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:1-23) as the eternal enlargement of Christ (cf. John 3:30; 1 Cor. 12:12), the eternal mingling of the Triune God with the tripartite man and the mutual dwelling of God and man (Rev. 21:3, 22) for the expression of the processed and consummated Triune God in His nature and glory (Rev. 21:18b, 21b, 10-11, 23) in the redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified tripartite man for eternity. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Gen. 5:1, footnote 1)

The Blending of Olive Oil with the Four Spices
Signifying the Compounding, the Mingling, of God and Man,
of Divinity and Humanity, in the Compound Spirit

This holy anointing oil, a compound ointment of olive oil and four spices (vv. 23-24), is a full type of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the compound, all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit of the processed Triune God, whom Christ became through His death and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:45; cf. notes 391 in John 7 and 194 in Phil. 1). The significances of the ingredients of this compound anointing oil are as follows: (1) flowing myrrh, a spice used in burial (John 19:39), signifies the precious death of Christ (Rom. 6:3); (2) fragrant cinnamon signifies the sweetness and effectiveness of Christ’s death (Rom. 8:13); (3) fragrant calamus, from a reed that grew upward in a marsh or muddy place, signifies the precious resurrection of Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1; 1 Pet. 1:3); (4) cassia, used in ancient times to repel insects and snakes, signifies the power of Christ’s resurrection (Phil. 3:10); and (5) the olive oil as the base of the compound ointment signifies the Spirit of God as the base of the compound Spirit (Gen. 1:2). Since the number four signifies the creatures (Ezek. 1:5), of which man is the head (Gen. 1:26), and the number one signifies the unique God (Deut. 4:35; 1 Tim. 2:5), the four spices signify the humanity of Christ in God’s creation, and the one hin of olive oil signifies the unique God with His divinity. Thus, the blending of olive oil with the four spices signifies the compounding, the mingling, of God and man, of divinity and humanity, in the compound Spirit (cf. Lev. 2:4 and note 3). The olive oil and the four spices were all prepared through a process of either pressing or cutting, signifying that the Spirit of God became the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9 and note 4) through Christ’s sufferings (Matt. 26:36 and note). Furthermore, the measure of the four spices, being three complete units of five hundred shekels each, the middle five hundred shekels being split into two parts, signifies the Triune God in resurrection, the second, the Son, being “split” by His death on the cross. Since in the Bible five is the number for responsibility (Matt. 25:2 and note 1), the five elements in the compound ointment and the three units of five hundred shekels of the four spices signify the Triune God in resurrection as the power, the capability, for bearing responsibility. Since the numbers three and five are related to God’s building (see note 152 in Gen. 6), these numbers in the compound ointment signify that in the compound Spirit there is the element for God’s building. Based on the above significances, the compounding of the four spices with the olive oil to make an anointing oil signifies the mingling of the above-mentioned elements with the Spirit of God through the process of Christ’s incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to produce the compound Spirit for the building of God’s eternal dwelling place. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Exo. 30:25, footnote 2)

The Compounding of the Four Ingredients into One Incense
Signifying the Mingling of God with Man,
of Divinity with Humanity, in Christ as the Incense

The three fragrant spices signify the Triune God in resurrection (the number three signifies both the Triune God and resurrection), and the addition of pure frankincense, making the number of ingredients four, signifies the humanity of Christ (the number four signifies man as God’s creature — Ezek. 1:5). The compounding of the four ingredients into one incense signifies the mingling of God with man, of divinity with humanity, in Christ as the incense. Each of the three spices signifies the death of Christ, as follows:

1) stacte, a kind of myrrh, a resinous gum produced by a tree, signifies the sweet death of Christ’s generating life (signified by the plant life — John 12:24);

2) onycha, the shell of a small animal that grows in the marshes of the Red Sea, signifies the death of Christ with His redemptive life (signified by the animal life — John 1:29);

3) galbanum, also a resinous gum from a tree, signifies the powerful death of Christ’s generating life. The disagreeable and offensive odor of galbanum strengthened the fragrance of the other spices and caused the fragrance of the incense to remain and endure. Galbanum was used to repel noxious insects and poisonous reptiles, including serpents.

The second of the spices, being of the animal life, signifies that the second of the Godhead was slain to accomplish redemption. Hence, the three spices indicate that Christ’s death in His generating life and His redeeming life has three functions: to generate us as sons of God, to redeem us from the fall, and to expel the serpent, the Devil (cf. John 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Heb. 2:14). The fourth ingredient, frankincense, is a white resinous gum, signifying the sweet resurrection of Christ. The three spices and the frankincense are seasoned with salt (v. 35), making the number of ingredients five, the number five signifying responsibility (Matt. 25:2). (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Exo. 30:34, footnote 1)

The Meal Offering Composed of Fine Flour Mingled with Oil
Being a Type of the Mingling of Divinity with Humanity

Christ Being Both the Complete God and the Perfect Man,
Possessing the Divine Nature
and the Human Nature Distinctly

The mingling of fine flour with oil in the meal offering (vv. 4-5) signifies that Christ’s humanity is mingled with the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18b) and His human nature is mingled with God’s divine nature, making Him a God-man. Christ is both the complete God and the perfect man, possessing the divine nature and the human nature distinctly, without a third nature being produced. Through the divine mingling Christ’s humanity has been uplifted to the highest standard. In His divinity Christ has the divine attributes, and these divine attributes are expressed through, with, and in His human virtues. This is the excellence of Jesus Christ.

In the meal offering the oil and the fine flour are mingled and cannot be separated. Hence, to eat the fine flour is to eat the oil. The picture in Lev. 2 indicates strongly that the way for us to be nourished with Christ’s humanity, and thus to experience His human living, is by the Spirit (John 6:51, 57, 63). (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Lev. 2:4, footnote 2)

The meal offering composed of fine flour mingled with oil is a type of the mingling of divinity with humanity. In some cases the oil was poured upon the fine flour; in other cases it was mixed, or mingled, with the flour. In the case of oil mingled with flour to make a cake to be used in the meal offering two substances—flour and oil—were mingled together. The oil was not simply added to the flour; it was mingled with it. But in this mingling neither of these elements ceased to exist. No, the oil was still oil, and the fine flour was still flour. But through the process of mingling the flour and the oil became one entity. However, neither the oil nor the flour lost its particular nature because of the mingling. Furthermore, the mingling of the oil with the flour did not produce a third nature, a substance which was neither flour nor oil. The product of the mingling was a cake with two natures, two elements, two substances.

Christ Having Two Natures, Divinity and Humanity,
Mingled Together in His One Person

The meal offering is a type of Christ. Christ’s humanity is typified by the fine flour, and His divinity is typified by the oil. The mingling of the oil with the fine flour indicates that in Christ divinity was not merely added to humanity but was mingled with it. Just as the oil was mingled with the flour, so in Christ divinity was mingled with humanity. Therefore, Christ has two natures, divinity and humanity, mingled together in His one Person. During His life on earth, it was apparent that He was a genuine man. But many times it was manifest that He truly was God. With the cake used in the meal offering both the oil and the flour could be tasted. In like manner, with Christ both divinity and humanity are manifested.

This Weaving Together of the Gold and the Linen in the Ephod
Typifying the Mingling of Divinity and Humanity in Christ

In the Life-study of Exodus we pointed out that the ephod, a garment worn by the high priest, was composed of golden and linen thread woven together. These two kinds of thread were not merely put side by side or piled one on the other; they were woven together into one textile. In this fabric both the golden thread and the linen thread could be seen. This also typifies the mingling of divinity and humanity in Christ. The golden thread signifies Christ’s divinity, and the linen thread, His humanity. This weaving together of golden and linen thread in the ephod indicates that in Christ the two natures of divinity and humanity are not merely added together but woven together, mingled together. Moreover, just as the weaving together of golden and linen thread did not produce a third substance, so the mingling of divinity and humanity in Christ does not nullify both divinity and humanity in order to produce a third nature. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)

We know from the New Testament that the Lord Jesus is a Person with two natures: divinity and humanity. Christ’s divinity is typified by the gold in the ephod, and His humanity is typified by the linen. The gold and the linen in the ephod were not linked together or joined together. On the contrary, they were woven together. This weaving together of the gold and the linen in the ephod typifies the mingling of divinity and humanity in Christ.

Because we use the word mingling in relation to the divine nature and human nature of Christ, we have been condemned as heretical. Some are still falsely claiming that we teach that in Christ the two natures of divinity and humanity were mingled together to produce a third nature, a nature which is neither fully divine nor fully human. I have never said that the mingling of divinity and humanity in Christ produces such a third nature. The gold fibers and the linen thread used to make the ephod were not woven together to produce a third nature, something which was neither gold nor linen. No, neither the gold nor the linen lost its own particular nature when it was used to make the ephod. The gold remained gold, a mineral, and the linen remained linen, a substance derived from plants. The natures of these two materials remained, even though they were woven together, mingled together. The same is true of Christ’s divinity and humanity. The divinity and humanity of Christ have not been mingled to produce a third nature. Furthermore, in Christ neither divinity nor humanity has lost its own nature.

The Gold and the Linen, Divinity and Humanity,
Being Woven Together when God Became Incarnate

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” According to John 1:14, “The Word became flesh.” We may say that the Word, which is God, is golden, and that the flesh in John 1:14 is linen. Thus, when God became incarnate, the gold and the linen, divinity and humanity, were woven together, mingled.

Divinity and Humanity Being Woven Together

Although the New Testament reveals that Christ is the God-man, we cannot find a verse telling us that Christ’s two natures were woven together. But this weaving together of divinity and humanity in Christ is portrayed by the type of the ephod. The gold and linen materials were not piled together, linked together, or merely joined together. They were woven together. However, many Christians have the concept that Christ’s divine nature was added to His human nature much like a piece of gold is wrapped in linen. They may not express themselves this way, but unconsciously many have this understanding.

In the past what was your understanding concerning the two natures of Christ? What was your concept of how divinity and humanity were put together? Did you think that the two natures of Christ were linked together somehow? No doubt you strongly believe that Christ is both God and man, but have you ever thought about how the two natures of Christ are put together? Were these two natures side by side within Him, or was Christ’s divine nature placed on top of His human nature? Was Christ’s human nature somehow surrounded by His divine nature, or did His human nature cover His divine nature? The Bible has a picture showing us how the two natures of our Lord have been put together. It is not by adding or linking; it is by weaving together divinity and humanity.

Christ’s divine nature has been processed, just as the gold used in making the ephod was processed. First the gold was refined in order to be pure. Then it was beaten into thin plates, cut into threads, twined together, and woven together with the linen. This picture indicates that Christ became a man by passing through a process. He did not become a man by suddenly descending from heaven to earth. No, He, as God, was conceived in the womb of a virgin. For nine months He developed in that virgin’s womb. Then He was born in a manger in Bethlehem. When King Herod learned of His birth, he tried to kill Him. Therefore, under the Lord’s leading, Joseph took the young child to Egypt. After the death of Herod, Joseph returned with Him to Israel, but he did not dare to stay in Judea. Therefore, he went up to the north to a despised district known as Galilee. As a result, the Lord Jesus grew up in the poor, small village of Nazareth. The Lord was raised in a poor family. In ancient times a carpenter, like Joseph, did not earn very much money. Throughout His years on earth, the Lord experienced the sufferings of human life. His process with all the sufferings is portrayed by the gold becoming the thread woven together with the linen.

This Aspect Being Not Clearly Revealed
in the New Testament

As the very God, our Lord went through a process to become one with humanity. Without this process, how could He have become one with man? If He had not experienced this process, the textile needed for making the ephod would not have been produced. In this we see an aspect of the preciousness of Christ that is not clearly revealed in the New Testament.

In this picture of the ephod we also see how Christ’s humanity has been wrought into His divinity. This too involved a process. The linen had to go through a process before it could become twined thread used in making the ephod. Exodus 28:6 speaks of fine-twined linen. This is linen made up of threads wound together. When the cords of linen are twined, they make the thread for weaving. For the linen to become a twined thread, it had to go through a process. Eventually, the two kinds of threads, the gold and the twined linen, were woven together to make the ephod.

Although we cannot explain adequately how Christ’s divinity and humanity have been woven together, if we look at the picture of the extraordinary fabric used to make the ephod and realize that it is a type of Christ, we shall say, “Lord Jesus, I worship You. You are portrayed by the gold and linen of the ephod. Your divinity has gone through a process, and Your humanity has passed through a different kind of process. Then both Your divinity and humanity were woven together into one textile. Lord Jesus, this portrays Your Person. How wonderful You are!” (Life-study of Exodus, msg. 120)

The Union and Mingling of the Processed Triune God,
Who Has Become the All-Inclusive, Life-Giving Spirit,
and the Spirit of Us, the Tripartite Men,
Who Are Being Transformed by Such a Spirit

Our regenerated spirit, which is indwelt by the Spirit of Christ. It is in this spirit of ours that we experience and enjoy Christ as Paul did.

This book, which is concerned with the experience of Christ, points out to us at the beginning, in ch. 1, that it is the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that enables us to live Christ, even to magnify Christ under any circumstances, that we may enjoy Him as the uttermost salvation. Here, at the end of the book, we are told that our experience and enjoyment of Christ must take place in our spirit, which has been regenerated to be the dwelling place and vessel of the Triune God. Therefore, this is altogether a matter of the union and mingling of the processed Triune God, who has become the all-inclusive, life-giving Spirit, and the spirit of us, the tripartite men, who are being transformed by such a Spirit. We must live and act in our wonderful spirit by the Triune God as the wonderful Spirit. Only then can we experience and enjoy the Triune God, who was processed through incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, as the inexhaustibly sufficient grace and thus become His fullness, His expression. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Phil. 4:23, footnote 2)

CHRIST AND WE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM
AND WHO ARE HIS MEMBERS HAVING TWO NATURES

Christ today is the Head of the Body, and we, His followers, are His members. As the Head He has two natures, and as His members we also have the same two natures. Christ, the Head, has divinity and humanity, and we, His members, also have humanity and divinity. Consider your physical body: the head and the members of the body are of the same substance. It is not possible for the head to be of one substance and the members of the body to be of a different substance. No, the whole body is of the same substance, the same element. Throughout our entire body there are the same blood, the same life, and the same nature. This is also true concerning the relationship between Christ and the church. What Christ is and what Christ has we as His members also are and have. Christ has humanity as well as divinity, and we have divinity as well as humanity. This means that Christ and we who believe in Him and who are His members have two natures. However, we would emphasize once again that the mingling of divinity with humanity in us does not produce a third nature. Our humanity does not cease to exist. Neither divinity nor humanity is nullified in the mingling.

REGENERATION BEING
THE BEGINNING OF THE MINGLING

The Element of Divinity Having Been Added
into the Element of Our Humanity

When we were regenerated, the divine tea was added to us. Prior to that time, whether our behavior was good or bad, we had only the element of humanity. Both a bank robber and a highly ethical person are the same in that neither of them has the divine element as long as they are not regenerated. We praise the Lord that at the time of our regeneration God came into our being. At that time the divine Person with the divine life, the divine nature, and the divine being were added to us. What a tremendous difference this makes! Now as saved and regenerated persons, we have two elements—the human element and the divine element. Furthermore, we have the divine life as well as the human life, and the divine nature as well as the human nature. The element of divinity has been added into the element of our humanity.

God Beginning to Work within Us
once He Has Been Added into Our Being

The addition of the divine element to our being at the time of regeneration marks the beginning of the mingling of divinity and humanity within us. Regeneration, therefore, is simply the beginning of the mingling. When tea is added to water, both the tea and the water work to produce one entity, one drink. We may say that the tea and the water cooperate to produce this drink. In the same principle, once God has been added into our being, He begins to work within us. Now we need to cooperate with God’s work, with His operation.

From the time we were regenerated, a process of constitution and transformation has been taking place within us. This process also involves reorganization. Through our birth as human beings we were organized in a certain way. But now that a new element, the divine element, has come into our being, there is the need for reorganization. Therefore, we need constitution, transformation, reorganization.

In the first few centuries of church history certain ancient teachers of the Bible saw the matter of mingling, experienced it, and taught it. Some teachers, however, went to an extreme and claimed that in the mingling of divinity and humanity in Christ, the original two natures produced a third nature. This is heretical, and it was condemned by the Council of Chalcedon. Afterward, Christian teachers were afraid to speak of the mingling of divinity with humanity. However, we have learned that some throughout the centuries continued to teach in a proper way concerning the mingling of divinity with humanity. Recently I read two books by Catholic writers which speak of this mingling in a correct way.

THE PROCESS OF MINGLING

The Divine Life Being Mingling with Our Human Life

It is very important for us to realize that every genuine Christian, every bona fide believer in Christ, is a person undergoing the mingling of the divine life and nature with the human life and nature. The divine life is not only mingled with our human life, but it is mingling with it. As a result, we are divine human beings. We may also say that we are human divine beings. This is why we say that Christians are God-men. Our life is the life of a God-man, and our living, as indicated by the ephod composed of golden and linen thread, is a living of divinity mingled with humanity. Our spiritual clothing is not only linen; it is also golden. We have gold and linen woven into one garment. This is our conduct, our behavior, our character, our living.

We praise the Lord that the process of mingling is still taking place within us. This continuing process is transformation. We may also speak of it as constitution and reorganization.

Being Transformed, Constituted, Reorganized

The Bible reveals that as believers in Christ we are being transformed, constituted, reorganized. However, this is not taught among most Christians today. Instead, believers are taught to improve their character and behavior. This kind of teaching, however, is not according to the Bible. Whatever the Bible says about our behavior or conduct involves transformation. It is vital for us to realize that transformation is the right way. In the process of transformation God’s element, divinity, is working within us to transform our humanity from a natural humanity into a spiritual humanity. But this does not mean that our humanity will be lost. Neither does it mean that divinity will be changed or altered in some way. No, neither our humanity nor God’s divinity will be changed; however, they are being mingled together in one entity, one being. This mingling produces genuine God-men. It also produces the heavenly tea-water for us to drink and enjoy day by day. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)

MINGLING OF GOD AND MAN AS ONE SPIRIT

In Revelation chs. 2 and 3 it was the Spirit speaking to the churches; here, at the end of the book, it is the Spirit and the bride, the church, speaking together as one. This indicates that the church’s experience of the Spirit has improved to the extent that she has become one with the Spirit, who is the ultimate consummation of the Triune God.

The entire revelation of the Bible shows us the love story of a universal couple. That is, the sovereign Lord, who created the universe and all things, the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—who went through the processes of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, and who ultimately became the life-giving Spirit, is joined in marriage to the created, redeemed, regenerated, transformed, and glorified tripartite man—composed of spirit, soul, and body—who ultimately constitutes the church, the expression of God. In the eternity that is without end, by the divine, eternal, and surpassingly glorious life, they will live a life that is the mingling of God and man as one spirit, a life that is superexcellent and that overflows with blessings and joy. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Rev. 22:17, footnote 1)