Re: Exceptional Measures

From: Vernon Jenkins (vernon.jenkins@virgin.net)
Date: Fri Jan 07 2000 - 15:52:03 EST

  • Next message: glenn morton: "Re: AIDS questions"

    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/



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jan 07 2000 - 15:48:12 EST