John 10 : The Door of the Tabernacle - The Claim of Christ
John 11 : The High Priest - The Comfort of Christ
John 12 : The Brazen Altar - The Cross of Christ
John 13 : The Laver - The Cleaning of Christ
John 14 : The Table of Shewbread - The Communion of Christ
John 15 : The Lampstand - The Capacity of Christ
John 16 : The Golden Altar - The Certainty of Christ
John 17 : The Holiest - The Completeness of Christ

The above outline was provided by Mr. Thomas Bentley, a missionary to Malaysia and a gifted Bible Teacher.

Read Part 1

Question asked in the beginning of each Gospel
"Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" Asked by the Diligent (Matt 2:2)
"What have we to do with Thee?" Asked by Demons (Mark 1:24)
"How shall this be?" Asked by a Damsel (Luke 1:34)
"Where dwellest Thou?" Asked by a Disciple (John 1:28)

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

Nine-fold aspects to the single fruit of the Spirit. Can also be viewed as the single fruit of the Spirit is love, manifested in eight different aspects.

The resources of Love
Joy - Love rejoicing
Peace - Love reposing
Longsuffering - Love reacting
Gentleness - Love refining
Goodness - Love rewarding
Faith - Love relying
Meekness - Love regulating
Temperance - Love refraining

Upwards to God- love, joy, peace
Outwards to others - longsuffering, gentleness, goodness
Inwards to self - faith, meekness, temperance

Ezra - Emancipated man ready in the Word
Nehemiah - Exercised man repairing the Wall
Mordecai - Exalted man restoring people's Wealth
Daniel - Excellent man resisting the World

Daniel purposed in his heart (Daniel 1:8)
Ezra prepared his heart (Ezra 7:10)
Nehemiah being put in his heart (Nehemiah 2:12, 7:5)

Revelation 4:6-9
"And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever"

Lion - Matthew's account of Christ
Calf - Mark's account of Christ
Man - Luke's account of Christ
Eagle - John's account of Christ

Full of Eyes
- before, prospective vision (The Lord's Coming)
- behind, retrospective vision (The Lord's Death)
- within, introspective vision (Self-examination)

1Corinthians 11:26, 28
"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come... But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup."

In Ephesians 4:11-13, Christ's gifts to the Church are persons.

Apostles and Prophets are foundational gifts (Eph 2:20). Today, we do not have apostles and prophets. Anyone who claims to be one is a false apostle or prophet (2Pet 2:1).

Evangelists - Men of mobility, by hook.
Pastors - Men of hospitality, by crook.
Teachers -Men of stability, by Book.

Read Judges 9:7-15

Applying the Symbols to Israel
* Vine (Past) - Israel spiritually (Psalm 80:8-11 ,Isaiah 5:1-2)
* Fig (Present) - Israel nationally (Matthew 21:18-19)
* Olive (Future) - Israel dispensationally (Romans 11:23-24)

Applying the Symbols to a Believer
* Vine (towards God) - Gladness, wine to cheer
* Fig (towards self) - Sweetness, fruit to nourish
* Olive (towards others) - Fatness, oil for light

* Vine - Believers' Worship
* Fig -Believers' Walk
* Olive -Believers' Witness

God and Others - Vine & Olive (Exo 23:11, Deut 24:20-21)
God and Self - Vine & Fig (1Kgs 4:25, Isa 36:16, Zech 3:10, Mic 4:4)

Read Part 2

A. Organisation (Chapters 1-10).
B. Disorganisation (Chapters 11-19).
C. Reorganisation (Chapters 20-36).

A. Readiness for Progress
B. Reversal of Progress
C. Restored Progress

Three Significant Places
- Sinai (Preparation) - Direction for the Journey
- Kadesh (Problems) - Delay/Defection in the Journey
- Nebo (Progress) - Dangers facing the Journey

1. Holy ground (3:5)
2. Holy convocation (12:16)
3. Holy habitation (15:13)
4. Holy sabbath (16:23)
5. Holy nation (19:6)
6. Holy men (22:31)
7. Holy place (26:33)
8. Holy garments (28:2)
9. Holy things (28:38)
10. Holy gifts (28:38)
11. Holy crown (29:6)
12. Holy ointment (30:25)
13. Holy anointing oil (30:25)
14. Holy day (35:2)

Old Testament
1. God of Shem (Gen 9:26)
2. God of Nahor (Gen 31:53)
3-5. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob (Exo 3:6)
6. God of Israel (Exo 5:1)
7. God of Jeshurun (Deut 33:26)
8. God of Elijah (2Kgs 2:14)
9. God of David (2Kgs 20:5)
10. God of Hezekiah (2Chr 32:17)
11-13. God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Adednego (Dan 3:28)
14. God of Daniel (Dan 6:26)

New Testament
1. God of glory (Acts 7:2)
2. God of patience (Rom 15:5)
3. God of hope (Rom 15:13)
4. God of peace (Rom 15:33)
5. God of all comfort (2Cor 1:3)
6. God of love (2Cor 13:11)
7. God of all grace (1 Pet 5:10)

What would your response be when the Lord calls you? Would your response be like that of Abraham's, Jacob's, Moses', Samuel's and Isaiah's "Here am I".

An Available Man is a
- Man of Sacrifice. Abraham (Gen 22:11)
- Man of Sojourn. Jacob (Gen 46:2)
- Man of Service. Moses (Exo 3:4)
- Man of Surrender. Samuel (1Sa 3:4)
- Man of Sanctification. Isaiah (Isa 6:8)

Dear reader, are you available when the Lord calls you?

Refer to my earlier post Biblical Imaginations on a definition of biblical imagination.
See Part 2 here.

Gen 43:11
"And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds"
Life of Christ - balm (soothing) and honey (sweetness) of His Life
Death of Christ - spices (savour) and myrrh (scent) of His Death
Resurrection of Christ - nuts (significance) and almonds (splendor) of His Resurrection

The mountain depicts a position of power and authority. It is also used sometimes symbolically for problems and difficulties. The Lord Jesus is portrayed as the sovereign king in Matthew's account. He is the Man of the mountain who can remove mountains.

Matt 4:1-11 : The Mount of Temptation - His credential
Matt 5:1-16 : The Mount of Teaching - His character
Matt 14:15-33 : The Mount over Tempest - His comfort
Matt 15:29-39 : The Mount over Thousands - His compassion
Matt 17:1-9 : The Mount of Transfiguration - His countenance
Matt 24:1-31 : The Mount over Tribulations - His coming
Matt 28:16-20 : The Mount of Triumph - His commission

Adam - Natural man
Cain - Carnal man
Abel - Spiritual man
Noah - Regenerated man
Enoch - Separated man
Lot - Worldly man
Esau - Profaned man
Ishmael - Wild man

Reader, what kind of man are you?

To the Church, He is the Bright and Morning Star. (Rev 22:16)
To Israel, He is the Sun of Righteousness. (Mal 4:2)
To the nations, He is the Stone cut out without hands. (Dan 2:34)
To the unbelievers, He is the Stealer in the night. (1 Thess 5:2)

Matthew 24:46
"Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing."

Luke 12:51
"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division."

John 7:43 Division over Christ's person.
John 9:16 Division over Christ's power.
John 10:19 Division over Christ's passion.

The gospels describe the Lord as greater than
* The temple (Matt 12:6) - The magnificence of His glory
* Jonah (Matt 12:41) - The consequence of His going
* Solomon (Matt 12:42) - The excellence of His government
* Jacob (John 4:12) - The beneficence of His grace
* Abraham (John 8:53) - The precedence of His giving

Eph. 3:18-20
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Breadth - Christ is greater than Abraham
Length - Christ is greater than Jacob
Depth - Christ is greater than Jonah
Height - Christ is greater than Solomon
Fullness - Christ is greater than the Temple

Refer to my earlier post Biblical Imaginations on a definition of biblical imagination.

Gen 22:6-7
"And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
God's judgment - Fire
God's wrath - Knife
Man's sins - Wood
Christ's love - Cords that bound Isaac

Gen 48:14 "And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn"
The Cross of Christ alluded in the crossing of Israel's left and right hands?

Eve - Formation of the Church
Rebekah - Faith of the Church
Leah - Firstfruits of the Church
Asenath - Future of the Church
Zipporah - Fortitude of the Church
Ruth - Freedom of the Church
Shulamite - Fellowship of the Church

Some others may consider Rachel and Abigail as pictures of the Church, thus making a list of nine instead of seven.

Eve - Work of the Father
Rebekah - Work of the Holy Spirit
Asenath - Work of the Son

"This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews", The Gospels
in Greek, Latin and Hebrew (Luke)
in Hebrew, Greek and Latin (John)

Demonstrates the Cross of Christ over
* Philosophy (Greek)
* Politics (Latin)
* Piety (Hebrew)

The worlds of Culture (Greek), Conquest (Latin) and Creed (Hebrew)

Galatians 6:14
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Mary of John 2 - Love at its obedience
Mary of John 12 - Love at its opportunity
Mary of John 20 - Love at its occupation

John described himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. I term this to be the "circle of love".

John 13:23 - Love has its special place
John 19:26-27 - Love has its special privilege
John 20:2-4 - Love has its special power
John 21:7 - Love has its special perception
John 21:20 - Love has it special path

The Risen Christ is the
* Rewarder of Love - Mary
* Revival of Hope - Two on Emmaus Road
* Recovery of Faith - Thomas
* Reversal of Failure - Peter
* Restorer of Joy - Disciples
* Receiver of Worship - Women
* Reality of Testimony - 500
* Reason of Service - James
* Revelation of Grace - Paul

The Gospels' Perspectives of the Resurrection of Christ
Matthew : Might - invincible - Christ is the Conqueror
Mark : Message - inexhaustible - Christ is the Challenge
Luke : Mandate - indispensable - Christ is the Companion
John : Majesty - indisputable - Christ is the Consolidator