MIRACLES AND REVELATION
THE PRINCIPLE OF BLOOD SACRIFICE
JESUS AT THE TIME
JEWISH MARRIAGES IN JESUS’ TIME
BREAD AND WINE – REALITY AND SYMBOLISM
...Bread
...The Table of Shewbread
...Wine
...Bread and Wine Together
THE WEDDING FEAST ITSELF

Jesus with the Jars. 

Look up the record of this miracle in your favorite translation, or read online, at the blue link below.

The celebration of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion as it is now widely known, is the third in a series of similar celebrations or remembrances. For nothing in God happens by chance! The coming of Jesus was planned and prophesized from the beginning of time! For God works in patterns of 'three', of which this is but one example.

The Lord’s Supper had it’s origin 4000 years ago, way, way back in antiquity.

When Abram (Before he became Abraham) returned victorious from the battle with King Kedorlaomer and his associates, he gave the king priest Melchizedek, an ancient picture of Jesus, a tithe of the spoils he had acquired. In return, Melchizedek brought out bread and wine as a celebration or remembrance of the event.

Etching shows Melchizedek blessing Abraham.

Moving on 600 years, we come to the world’s first church, the Tabernacle of Moses, detailed plans of which were given on Mount Sinai. (See A Revelation of… The Church – Past, Present and Future) As is the case with progressive revelation, further truth was revealed.

In the Tabernacle, the most regular offering of all those made on the Bronze Altar for the Israelites sins, was the twice daily, morning and evening sacrifice of a one-year-old lamb, together with accompanying Grain (bread) and Drink (wine) Offerings. A perfect picture of what Jesus would do for us, once and for all, 1500 years later! The Lamb of God, (The Sacrificial Lamb) whose body would be broken (Grain Offering) and whose blood (Drink Offering) would be shed for us.

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

The Lord’s Supper symbolises and recognises the fulfilment of God’s eternal plan of reconciliation, in bringing us back to Him through the blood of Jesus. Everything has now been done. His work is finished. All we have to do is believe and obey. Our trust and rest is in Him.

When Jesus came to be our final sacrificial lamb, the need for the twice-daily sacrifice ceased. This physically happened when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans on 5 August 70AD and has never been re-instituted into Jewish worship, as there is no longer a temple in which to make the sacrifice. God works too, in the natural as well as the spiritual! And as the Last Supper reveals, the final sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf is to be remembered by breaking bread, symbolic of His battered body and drinking wine, symbolic of His blood poured out for you and me. Isn’t it amazing how it all ties in together?

The form of the symbolism would not have come as a complete surprise to the Disciples either, for Jesus had earlier talked about the principles it contains.

‘In the same way’ they too, after the Last Supper may well have understood the application of the principles of the Grain and Drink Offerings to what Jesus had taught, for they undoubtedly participated in these ceremonies at the Temple, when in Jerusalem. As the Apostle Paul said:

It’s amazing how God works! A number of years ago now, as I was reading the last chapter of the Bible, He showed me that the river flowing from the throne of God was symbolic of the End Time Church – the ‘River Church’. But that is another story.

But it is only now, these many years later, that He is revealing the principles of the river. Revealing its source way back at the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden, flowing through Ezekiel’s Temple and culminating with the final promise of God’s Kingdom on earth contained in the last chapter of Revelation.

Once again, my faith is built up as I see yet another aspect of God’s logical plan; a plan put in place from the very foundation of the world. And likely well before! Being a (usually logical) male, logic and reason, together with experiential love, work hand in hand as faith builders in my life.

The river I initially saw supernaturally flowed up towards the Throne of God as we fully entered His rest and were taken up to Him, rather than the more natural, gravity obedient one mentioned in Revelation 22:1. I still don’t have the full revelation of that, but God hasn’t finished with me yet. And wont, until I go to join Him.

So let’s take a journey through time and see what surprises our God has in store for us.

Just to think, that when we take the bread and the wine, we are continuing a spiritual observance that has been in place for many thousands of years. Wow! And even more wonderful, to celebrate it in the third and final dispensation of Jesus.

The enjoyment of food is an international experience. Here in the Philippines, my hosts, Boy and Methusula Ramos, are entertaining Filipinos, an American, a Japanese lady, and me - a Kiwi - to a tasty Asian meal!