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. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Gen. 5:1, footnote 1)
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: (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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: (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Exo. 30:25, footnote 2)
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. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Exo. 30:25, footnote 2)
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. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Exo. 30:25, 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. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Exo. 30:25, footnote 2)
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. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Exo. 30:34, footnote 1)
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: (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Lev. 2:4, footnote 2)
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. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Lev. 2:4, footnote 2)
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. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Lev. 2:4, footnote 2)
D. A garment worn by the high priest, was composed of golden and linen thread woven together—Exo. 28:8: (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Phil. 4:23, footnote 2)
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: (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
B. This means that Christ and we who believe in Him and who are His members have two natures. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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: (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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: (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
B. We praise the Lord that the process of mingling is still taking place within us—2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 12:2. (Life-Study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 38)
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)