The Perfection Of Forgiveness
Sections In This Study:
Part One - Forgiven Seventy Times Seven
Part Three - Sevenfold Covenants And The New Covenant
Part Four - The Spotless Lamb Of God
Part Five - The Perfection Of Christ (see below)
Part Six - We Are Spotless In The Eyes Of God
Part Seven - Sevenfold Forgiveness
Part Five - The Perfection Of Christ
Before we delve into how God the Father sees us, I wanted to take another look at the Lord Jesus Christ, and what the Bible says about Him in type and in fulfillment of those types. The more I study out this subject, the more I find. Jesus Christ is so amazing.
I have found seven portrayals of the Lord Jesus Christ that fit the theme I am presenting here. (There may be others, but these are all the ones that came to mind as I was studying this theme out.) The first couple of ones we have already looked at in the last section.
Seven portrayals of the Lord Jesus Christ:
A. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, without blemish and without spot, pictured throughout the whole Word of God. (See Exodus 12:5; 1 Corinthians 5:7; and 1 Peter 1:19.) Truly, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only worthy Redeemer!
Revelation 5:5-6 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
B. Jesus was morally blameless and without fault during His years of public ministry, and this was especially noted during His public trials and crucifixion.
C. Jesus is the High Priest with no blemish.
Leviticus 21:16-23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
The High Priest must be a Levite who had no physical blemishes or imperfections. While there were Levites with scars or injuries or imperfections that could still serve the Lord in various capacities, they could not be a priests (or the High Priest) bringing the shewbread into the tabernacle or offering sacrifices to the Lord, especially on the Day of Atonement.
It is interesting that both the High Priest AND the sacrifice that was to be offered on the altar had to be without blemish. The prophecies about the Passover Lamb not having a bone broken and the Messiah not having one likewise both picture the Lord Jesus Christ. (See Exodus 12:46 and Psalm 34:20.) If any of Jesus’ bones were broken on the cross, those would have been a blemish upon His body that would have disqualified Him from being the High Priest, the office He would later fulfill after rising from the dead.
Jesus Christ, though not of the tribe of Levi, is a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. He IS both the unblemished High Priest and the spotless Lamb of God.
Hebrews 2:17-3:1 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
Hebrews 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 7:21-22 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
Jesus is our Great High Priest, the perfect and sinless Saviour.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
D. Jesus’ perfect righteousness is portrayed as fine linen in the tabernacle system.
Every item or type of material used in the building of the tabernacle (and later of the temple) picture something about the Lord Jesus Christ. The walls of the outer court were covered with curtains of fine twined linen.
Exodus 27:9-14 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side: And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits. The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three. And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
There are three main areas to the tabernacle: the outer court, the Holy Place (ie. the tabernacle building), and the Holy of Holies (ie. the very heart of the tabernacle, where the presence of God dwelt). Each of these areas had only one entrance, and each pictures Christ as the only way of salvation, the only way to the Father, the only entrance into the very presence of God, and this way was not opened to man until the vail was torn when Jesus died upon the cross. (See Matthew 27:51.) This is a theme we see explained in the New Testament, especially in the Gospel of John (see John 10:7-9; 14:6) and in the book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 10:19-20 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
The following quote is from A Portrait Of Christ by David Cloud:
“The three gates or doors in the tabernacle system (the one into the court, the one into the tabernacle, the one into the holy of holies) depict Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. He is the way of salvation as represented by the door into the court that led to the altar of sacrifice. He is the truth as represented by entrance into the place of the candlestick. He is the life as represented by veil into the holy of holies, which was torn when Christ died.”
Consider the following passages about these entrances.
The Outer Court
Exodus 27:16-17 And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four. All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
The Tabernacle Building
Exodus 26:36-37 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
The Inner Vail
Exodus 26:31-32 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
The materials that the gate and the vail were made out of are also noteworthy. On both the outer court gate and the inner vail, there were four wooden pillars covered with gold, representing the life of Christ and the fourfold presentation of Him we see in the four Gospels. It is interesting to note though that the tabernacle entrance itself had five pillars. This is significant because there is a fifth picture of Jesus presented all throughout Scripture, and even in the Gospels themselves - and that picture is of the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. (For more on this theme, see my studies, Behold: A Fivefold Picture, Part One and Part Two.)
The pillars (and the other wooden implements, furniture, and boards for the tabernacle walls) were made out of shittim wood. That is a gnarly wood that grows in the wilderness, representing the outward appearance of Christ, plain, ordinary, nothing beautiful or attractive in itself. (See Isaiah 53:2.) But those pillars (and the boards used within the tabernacle) were covered with gold. The covering of gold represents deity and kingship. Jesus is both God and King. But this beauty could only be seen by those inside the tabernacle - just as the true beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ can only be seen by those that have trusted in Him for salvation, those that are in Him, in the Beloved.
There were also four materials that these curtains were made out of: blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
“The wall, or fence, of fine white linen, represented God’s perfect righteousness and said in effect, ‘Stay Out!’ But the four-coloured gate spoke of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ and said in effect, ‘Come In,’” From The Tabernacle Of The Old Testament by Bobby L. Sparks.
The materials of the gate and vail also represent Jesus in the following ways: Blue, heavenly, indicating Jesus came down from Heaven - this is the Gospel of John presenting Jesus as the Son of God; Purple, royalty - this is the Gospel of Matthew presenting Jesus as the King of kings; Scarlet, picturing blood - this is the Gospel of Mark presenting Jesus as the suffering Servant who gave His life a ransom for many; and Fine Twined Linen, picturing perfect righteousness - this is the Gospel of Luke presenting Jesus as the perfect Son of Man. This cloth was wrought with needlework, woven together as one curtain or vail - four Gospels containing a fourfold presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ, four accounts woven together into one life, presenting one Saviour.
Notice each of the four pillars had sockets at the base or foundation made of brass - this signifies judgement (ie. Christ bearing the judgement for our sins on the cross is the foundation of our salvation). These pillars were also filleted (joined) with silver, representing redemption. The brass was used for the boards outside of the tabernacle, and the silver was used for the boards inside the Holy Place. To approach God, a man’s sins must be first judged (which happened when Jesus died on the cross of Calvary), then upon acceptance of the Substitute who died in his place - upon trusting in the Saviour - he is redeemed.
E. Jesus is portrayed as Fine Flour in the sacrificial offerings.
In Leviticus chapters 1-5, we have the five types of sacrifices listed: the burnt offering, the meal or meat (ie. grain) offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. Each of these sacrifices present the Lord Jesus Christ in various ways. On the theme of the perfection of Christ, the second type of offering is significant.
Leviticus 2:1-2 And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon: And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:
The meat offering was made of fine flour. No lumps or inconsistencies, it was to be finely ground. According to The Complete Word Study Bible Dictionary, this word is, "A common noun meaning fine flour. It is used of a grade of flour ground fine from the best part of the wheat grain... It was used in sacrifices and was considered a food to be served as a luxury item or in the king's household." This was best part of the wheat.
Spiritually, the fine flour signifies Christ’s perfect life – no hypocrisy or inconsistencies, nothing out of place or lacking in His moral character – in His humanity, He was in perfect balance in His daily conduct and in His service to God the Father. The oil poured upon the sacrifice and the frankincense put upon it picture His life, wholly submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit and devoted to prayer.
Whenever these sacrifices were offered and burnt upon the altar the way that God commanded in His Word, they caused a sweet savour to rise unto the Lord. In fact, in these five chapters, it is stated seven times that these sacrifices produced a sweet savour unto the LORD:
…the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. (See Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17; 2:2, 9; 3:5; 4:31.)
Jesus’ life pleased His Father in all ways.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
In Psalm 45 and in the Song of Solomon, we see the Lord Jesus Christ presented in a symbolical fashion, portrayed by sweet smelling spices:
Psalms 45:8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Song of Songs 1:12-14 While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.
Song of Songs 1:12-14 symbolically refer to Jesus’ death (being anointed with spikenard by Mary for His burial), burial (myrrh, the spice used to wrap Jesus’ body in), and resurrection (camphire - the same Hebrew word used for atonement, ransom, the redemption price that was paid by Jesus for all that trust in Him for salvation, the blood used to cover our sins) - the Gospel told in type or symbol.
John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Song of Songs 1:3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
Have you ever noticed the Savour of the Saviour's name, flowing from heart to heart as those that love Jesus speak of Him to other believers?
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
F. There is no leaven (ie. sin or corruption) in Jesus.
The Israelites were commanded to put leaven out of their house during the week of Passover.
Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Exodus 13:6-7 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
It is interesting to note that for the whole week following the celebration of Passover, the nation was to have no leaven in their houses. This period of time became known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and started with the slaying of the Passover Lamb. This is stated clearly in seven verses in Exodus 12-13, the two chapters dealing with the first Passover (see also Exodus 12:19, 20, 34, 39; 13:3).
In the Bible, leaven symbolizes sin and corruption. (See Matthew 13:33; 16:6, 11-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:7-9.) Not only were their sacrifices to be without leaven, they were to strive to put leaven physically out of their houses and spiritually out of their lives. This is much like New Testament believers are not to have any known sin in their lives when they come together to observe the Lord’s Supper, celebrating the shed blood and death of the Saviour for them. (See 1 Corinthians 11:27-32.)
Deuteronomy 16:3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
In addition to the Israelites having no leaven in their house during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they were also prohibited from having leaven in any of their offerings or sacrifices. (See also Leviticus 2:11; 6:17; 7:12.)
The significance of this removal of all leaven was because their sacrifice had no leaven, had no sin or corruption in any sense. This pictures Jesus Christ, the Saviour who had no sin or corruption in Him at all. Because there was no sin in Him, His body did not undergo any corruption in the grave.
Isaiah 53:8-9 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Psalms 16:8-10 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
This was fulfilled in the three days and three nights Jesus’ body was in the grave – no corruption, no decay.
Acts 2:27-32 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Acts 13:35-37 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
A perfect Saviour – perfectly sinless, no corruption or leaven in Him!
G. Jesus is the Son in whom the Father is well pleased.
There are seven times in the New Testament that the Father said He was pleased in His Son.
Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Mark 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mark 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Luke 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Luke 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
2 Peter 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Seven times the Bible states, “This is My Beloved Son.” Seven - perfection, the Perfect Saviour.
Five times God’s Word states, “In whom I am well pleased.” Five - the number of grace. We are accepted IN the Beloved, by God’s grace. Our Heavenly Father is pleased in the Lord Jesus Christ – pleased with Jesus in all things: in His perfect, sinless life that completely fulfilled the requirements of the Law, in His atoning death that paid din’s complete penalty, and His physical resurrection from the dead three days later - and we are placed IN Him by faith.
When the Father spoke on the Mount of Transfiguration – after Moses (the representative of the Law) and Elijah (the representative of the prophets) appeared – all three passages state, “Hear Him!”; hear the Beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased.
Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
