God had made
a promise to Adam; that in 5500 years, salvation would come to mankind when God
was to appear on earth. At this ancient time, God knew His destiny: He had to
die!
Adam knew of his “brother” to whom he is likened. Being half-brothers,
Adam was made a living soul but Jesus a living Spirit. 286 The two
were of different natures; Adam natural and Jesus supra-natural. Although the
people knew of God’s Covenant, they still went sour. The Adamic Covenant was
violated by mankind as mankind ignored God in favor of themselves. Just as before, mankind became their own gods
and did what was right in their own eyes. The “Church” mutinied against their
Captain, and left to their own devices, except for one family to be saved by
grace!
Immediately after the baptism of
the earth as sin was washed away, Satan influenced mankind again. For some
reason Noah drank wine, perhaps in celebration of God’s blessing and the
establishment of the Noahic Covenant. Or
perhaps, it was in celebration of the fruits of his own hand as he grew the
first post deluvian grape crop, and enjoyed the fruits thereof.
The Church was again established
with a new Church Covenant, the old one which had fermented atop the Holy
Mountain. How so? Because righteous eyes looked down on the plain and desired
the things of the world. Without stretching the simile too generously, wine has
great significance to the Church. This was the first time that wine was mentioned
in scripture, and it was abused. Ever since, mankind’s sobriety has been
clouded by the impurity of grape fermentation. Years later, Peter pointed out
Noah’s sin: 287
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour…
What if?
What if Noah had not partaken of fermented grape juice. Although this is the
first mention of wine in Scripture, the commentary from sacred scriptures shows
that sinners knew “adult beverages” long before: “Satan also taught Genun to
bring strong drink out of corn.” Corn is an early English translation for grain. It’s likely that Cain’s people
were most likely drinking beer, the easiest drink to make from grain. Noah soon
did what his unrighteous cousins were doing. Since he was righteous, Noah
should be given some credit. Possibly, and likely, his grapes turned to wine
naturally, and he only drank innocently.
Sin is just how Satan operates.
Like physical diseases some come on with stealth, undetected until it has done
damage, and others that are obvious. “Diseases” like alcoholism and drug
addiction are intentional mostly through deception. Sin, likewise, is of three
types: accidental, neglect, and intentional – the latter two are sins of
omission and commission. Because, Noah was righteous, perhaps this sin was
accidental, but even with that, sin is always from Satan. Righteous people never
defend sin of any of the three types. Regardless of amount, drunkenness is
sinful, and drinking is entering into temptation. However, Noah cursed Ham, his
son, who had looked upon his nakedness. It is supposed that either Ham
ridiculed him as people are bound to do with drunks, or either he had sexual
feelings for him, All that is known for sure is that Ham sinned, and was
cursed. 288 Similar to Adam who was not deceived, Noah was not. Like
Eve who the serpent deceived, Ham was as well. Noah’s sin was accidental
whereas Ham’s was intentional. He broke the Fifth Commandment before it was
ever written! 289 That command included a promise: a long life upon
God’s land. Ham didn’t get that. His line ended up in northern Africa as his
seed was expelled from the “Garden” just as Adam had been long ago.
With those two sins, one minor
and one grievous, the Church had already become impure as Satan smiled. He was well
on his way to killing God by re-introducing sin after the earth was baptized,
with really deep water, by the way! The safety of mankind had been eroded
immediately, and much more sin was to come. Thankfully, God circumcised the sky
with His rainbow as a reminder of His cleansing of sin, and that it would be
cleansed again but not by water. The rainbow is a symbol that God is not dead! 290
With God still alive is testimony that the Church is still alive. Hence, the
health of the Church is still demonstrated by the pounding on the threshing
floor. The Church will always have its grain and tares, and as long as God is
alive, He will still separate the wheat from the chaff!
As the generations went by, the
Church continued on but was feeble. The world had a type of God, and many of
them, but the One True God was nowhere to be found. God, not dead yet, breathed
life into the Church. He chose Abram who still seemed to know God. Abraham was anointed
to be the Papa to the Church. God appointed him; it was not self-assigned. God appeared
in the flesh!
After God returned Lot to Abram,
there was a celebration. Melchizedek, the king of Salem (later Jerusalem), brought
forth bread and wine and blessed Abram. The people tithed to Melchizedek then
rejected the goods but asked for the people themselves! 291 Many
theologians believe that Melchizedek was the King of Peace – Salem – God in the
flesh. Indeed, God when he finally appeared, was a Priest of the order of Melchizedek.
292 It appears that God came Himself to start the Church afresh,
just as He did in Jerusalem – the Kingdom of David. 293 God never changes but only
appears to mankind differently! It is not a far stretch for God to appear as a
man, even a king, in those days because he did that again before he died!
Thus, Abram with his new nature
and renamed Abraham, started a new covenant. This covenant was for the
resurrected Church. Again, this institution had neither a location nor home. God
was nomadic as were His people. After Melchizedek went back to Peace the Church
was Abraham and his seed. The Covenant is summarized by faithfulness to God in
exchange for spiritual prosperity. Specifically, Jacob, soon to be renamed
Israel, after wrestling with God, became the progenitor of the Messiah and the
promise of the Land of Milk and Honey – a return to Paradise! 294
The Abrahamic Covenant was a repeat of the Adamic and the Noahic, using different
words for the same promise – a Messiah was promised!
The typical Hebrew didn’t
understand the concept of Messiah. They failed to understand that God was with
them. He was to be called Immanuel. 295
God, without name, when He appears in the world, assigns Himself a Name.
In the beginning, it was the Word. Later on, He was called Melchizedek. After
He became flesh, He was called the
Christ and Jesus! 297 He Is “God With Us”.
Adam, Noah, and now Abraham knew
God in the flesh. Abraham demonstrated it by his willingness to sacrfice his
only remaining son on Mount Moriah – later to be the place of the threshing
floor, Solomon’s Temple, and the Dome of the Rock. That Rock is “the foundation
of peace”, and is in the midst of the Garden at Jerusalem! That day on Mount
Moriah, Abraham stood on the Holy Ground on which the Church was built. Of
course, it wasn’t Moriah but God Himself who was the Rock. 298
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant,
how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And
were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the
same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank
of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
The
Church was built on THE Rock… no one less. Let this be discussed for a moment.
The church fathers say that Peter is the rock on which the Church was built.
This comes from Jesus who said, “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church,” from Matthew 16:18. Is that true? Peter is English for the
Greek name Petrus, meaning “rock” or “stone”. 299 Thus, it seems logical
that Peter is to be the namesake of the Church, and it would seem that upon his
person the Church would be built.
One should ask, does “this rock”
mean Jesus who was speaking in the first person, or does is he referring to
Peter. Possibly both! God Himself is the
foundation of the Church, Him being the tried stone on which it was built. 300
At the same time God referred to the cornerstone. What is the importance of
that? When masons begin the foundation, it must be square and level. The
cornerstone is the datum from which the whole building is built true. It must
be laid perfect, and square to the world such that the finished building is
beautiful, perfect, and to the designer’s intent. That “Cornerstone” served the
same purpose for constructing the spiritual building. Jesus the Messiah himself is the Cornerstone
of the Church as Paul himself explained: 301
And
are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner stone…
The Church, indeed, was built upon God from Isaiah, the prophets, and the
apostles. That threshing floor way back when was the Church. When the prophets
foretold Jesus, that was the Church. When Abraham paid tribute to Melchizedek
that was the Church. They were the foundation! Then came the apostles. They too were the foundation, laying the
spiritual concrete which still exists today. Andrew, Bartholomew, John, and all
the others were the rock on which the Church was built. Likewise, what Jesus said
to Peter is true. On him, the Church was built. Ironically, the Saint Peter’s
Basilica in Rome is where Peter is said to be buried. That is considered the “greatest
church in Christendom”. 302
Generally speaking, the catholic church is Rome was indeed the foundation
of the Church. Of course, the foundation was laid all over Asia Minor, Africa, Britain
and the entire Roman Empire. Saint Peter is identified as being the head of the
catholic church in Rome as bishop. After Emperor Constantine turned to
Christianity, the bishop of Rome had increased importance due to proximity to
the emperor. 304 Under Theodosius I, Christianity became the state
religion of Rome. (Not Catholicism but Christianity.)
Figure
#2 shows he dioceses of the Roman church at that time – 395 A.D. As the
power of the Roman church increased, and its universality noted, the Roman
Catholic Church evolved but after it’s split into the western (Catholic), and
Eastern (Orthodox) faiths.
Whether one likes it or not, most Christians are products of the Roman
church, and Peter was its first recognized bishop. “The greatest church (building)
in Christendom” was indeed built on Peter, but the Church universal – catholic – was built on God with His
flesh as its cornerstone! It is important, though, that a rudimentary Church
always existed, but without a Cornerstone. God laid the foundation but the
stones weren’t laid until much later. For it to be true and perfect, the Builder
awaited the Datum. He was promised, and the prophets knew all about him!
Figure 2: The Romans Empire - 395 AD 303
286 Holy Bible 1 Cor 15:45
287 ibid; 1 Pet 5:8
288 ibid; Gen 9
289 ibid; Exod 20:12
290 ibid; Rev 4:3; 10:1
291 ibid; Gen 14
292 ibid; Psalm 110.4
293 ibid; Acts 2:3
294 ibid: Gen 32:24-30
296 ibid; Isa 7:14
297 ibid; Mat 2:16
298 ibid; 1 Cor 10:1-4
300 Holy Bible; Isa 28:16
301 ibid; Ephes 2:20
302 Wikipedia; “Saint Peter’s Basilica”
304 Wikipedia; “History of the Catholic
Church”
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