George:
Thanks for your erudite comments re my NT references.
Regarding 296, its relationship to the mercy seat is non-existent until
we consider the Greek gematrial values of 'Jesus' and 'Christ': the
first, 3 x 296, and the second, 5 x 296. The example I asked you to
consider - involving a 3:4:5 triangle - was set up to register these
values, 888 and 1480, as the lengths of two of the sides. Clearly, the
relationship btween 296 and the mercy seat is indirect; it exists only
because of the factored numerical forms of the Lord's Name and Title.
Shalom!
Vernon
George Murphy wrote:
>
> Vernon Jenkins wrote:
> >
> > George:
> >
> > My NT references speak of Christ as 'propitiatory', or 'mercy seat'. The
> > ratio 3:5 arises from the description of that item of tabernacle
> > furniture given in Ex.25:17 - this being seen to match, precisely, the
> > ratio, Name:Title, as rendered in the Greek, nominative case.
>
> The passages you referred to use different but related Greek words:
> Rom.3:25 has the noun _hilasterion_, Heb.2:17 the infinitive _hilaskesthai_, and
> 1Jn.2:2 and 1Jn.4:10 forms of the noun _hilasmos_. The nouns mean a "means by which
> sins are forgiven" and the verb is "to bring about forgiveness". _hilasterion_
> can also be a _place_ where sins are forgiven, being the Septuagint for the "mercy
> seat" in Ex.25:17 and Lev.16:15 where the ritual for _Yom Kippur_ is described, as
> well as in Heb.9:5. Luther makes the connection explicit by rendering _hilasterion_
> as _Gnadenstuhl_ (as in the Ex. & Lev. verses) in his translation of Rom.3:25.
> Now this is significant and interesting and has been seen by many commentators
> who knew and cared nothing about numerology and who made no reference to the
> _dimensions_ of the mercy seat which have nothing to do with the important point -
> i.e., that Christ is the "place" and the "means" of propitiation for sin.
>
> > The matter of 296 is a separate issue: as HCF of both Name and Title,
> > and gematrial value of 'h'ertz' ('the earth'), it echoes another truth
> > concerning the Lord, viz that he is indeed God Incarnate.
>
> Whatever the significance of 296 might be has no importance at all for
> the interpretation of the mercy seat. You got your two numbers 888 and 1480 by
> multiplying 3 and 5 by 296 in the first place. Of course when you divide them you'll
> get 3/5. The same would be true if you multiplied 3 and 5 by _any_ non-zero factor.
> You could use 666 & get the same result.
>
> > Are you not prepared to admit that these correspondences are remarkable?
> > Would you really be happy to see them 'swept under the carpet'?
>
> The correspondences you see are imaginary, for the supposedly significant number
> 296, the gematrial value of _h'rtz_, drops out and plays no role at all. It reminds
> me of Lincoln's "homeopathic soup made by boiling the shadow of a pigeon which had
> starved to death." I can't sweep it under any rug because there's nothing to sweep.
>
> Shalom,
> George
>
> George L. Murphy
> gmurphy@raex.com
> http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
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