Jeremiah 31:31 – @ 6th century BC

LITV ³¹ Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, ³² not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt (which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Jehovah).

Hebrews 9:15 – @ 1st century AD

YLT ¹⁵ And because of this, of a new covenant he is mediator, that, death having come, for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those called may receive the promise of the age-during inheritance,

Jesus died in His old covenant in order to be raised to life in His new covenant. Why did God want a better covenant for His chosen people to live in? Jesus lived for 33 1/2 years in His old covenant before He died to move His people to His new covenant. He then spent 37 years in His new covenant before He completely destroyed His old one. Did God fulfill His covenant with Abraham fulfilled? The promises to Abraham were given 430 years before the law was given. Blessings in the land under the law of Moses depended on obedience to that law. Moses knew they would not be blessed to the age and he told them so. Moses assured God’s people that they that they would fail under law. God assured Abram through His Son that his/His Seed would inherit the land and become innumerable. How can they both be true?

Genesis 15:17-18

ECB ¹⁷ And so be it, when the sun sets and it is dusk, behold, a smoking furnace and a flambeau of fire passes between those pieces. ¹⁸ In that day Yah Veh cuts a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I gave this land – from the river of Misrayim to the great river – the river Euphrates:

Galatians 3:16 – Christ cut a unilateral covenant from God to Abram

YLT ¹⁶ and to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to [His] his seed; He doth not say, `And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, `And [the promises were spoken] to thy [Seed] seed,’ which is Christ;

Yahweh cut a covenant with Abram through His Son to reassure Abram of the promises. It was not a loyalty oath on Abram’s part. It was a loyalty oath from God through His Son to Abraham. God instructed Abram to slaughter three animals and divide them so He could demonstrate the absolute surety of His promises. The smoking furnace and burning lamp represented God’s presence through His Son, like the cloud and the pillar of fire that accompanied Israel in the exodus (Exodus 13:21–22). The Lord passed between the divided animals, not Abraham. Yahweh swore a life and death oath, meaning that he would lay down his own life if he did not give Abram and his seed the land. Yahweh later confirmed the same unilateral promise to Isaac, saying, “Unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swear unto Abraham thy father” (see Genesis 26:3). Since God cannot swear by anything greater than His own life (see Hebrews 6:13), Yahweh’s promise to Abram could not have been demonstrated more surely. Abram must have been very familiar with the covenant-cutting practices of his era. They usually focused on the curse of death for disobedience. God unilaterally blessed Adam with many blessings and one promised of death for disobedience. If Abram’s descendants weren’t blessed then God Himself would take the death penalty for breaking the covenant.

I can’t say Abraham never wavered in his faith. I can say God never broke His promises to Abraham. Like Adam, Abraham eventually listened to his wife and had a son by natural law through his maid. The slave woman represents the law of works in Galatians. Ishmael opened Abraham’s eyes to the conflict between the two covenants. In the flesh Ishmael was Abraham’s son, but he was not the son of Abraham God promised to bless the nations with. Ishmael came to represent the old covenant in slavery under law, while Isaac came to represent the new covenant son of the promises. T

Due to conflict, the old covenant had to be cast out and go away. The promises of Abraham came from the belief of the son who was wiling to die and be resurrected. By faith in the resurrection, Abraham symbolically sacrificed his son of the promise.

Hebrews 11:17-19

LITV ¹⁷ By faith, being tested, Abraham offered up Isaac; and he receiving the promises was offering up the only begotten, ¹⁸ as to whom it was said, “In Isaac your Seed shall be called;” Gen. 21:12 ¹⁹ reckoning that God was able to raise even from the dead; from where indeed he obtained him in a parable.

Abraham is called the father of faith (Romans 4:11–12) because he left his homeland and received a son in his old age. Genesis 15:4–5  God’s promise to Abraham was that his offspring would inherit the land and be as “the sands of the sea.” Abraham was old and had no sons when he believed that God would do as He promised. Mary believed God’s word when the angel Gabriel told her she would be the mother of the only begotten Son of God. (Luke 1:26–38). She said she did not understand how such a thing could be possible since she was a virgin. But she believed that God would keep His word. Belief in God’s promises pleases God (Hebrews 11:6), even if we don’t see how it is possible.

As time passed covenant cutting became more negative than positive. Many ancient covenants were made with only the death for breaking covenant in mind. Unlike Adam, God did not mention a death that would come upon Abraham for not waiting for God to fulfill the promise. God woke Abram out of the death of Adam with a new breath of life. Abram’s new breath of life is represented in his new name. When God breathed His words on Abram an “h” was added to Abram and Sarai. God’s name is YHWH. He shares His covenant name with both Abram and Sarai and they become Abraham and Sarah. God had breathed into the man when humanity was first created with Adam. The Son of God would ultimately fulfill the deep sleep and reawakening of Adam and Abraham (along with his wife). Jesus sent God’s Spirit from heaven to Jerusalem to give new breath to His old covenant people. With the last breath of His old covenant body the only begotten Son of the promise went into a “deep sleep” on the cross. Jesus was raised to new covenant life by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was sacrificed between two Jewish bodies: one of belief and one of unbelief. All judgement is given to the Son. Jesus promised a blessing to the Jew who died with Him with the faith of Abraham. One thief on the cross believed Jesus and it was counted to him as righteousness apart fro the law he broke. The Red Sea baptism was before the law was given too. It was the breath of Yahweh that parted the Red Sea and separated the old man in slavery to Egypt from the new man of freedom in Christ. Before they even received the law Joshua and Caleb had the faith of Abraham. Their faith to enter the promised land without understanding how God would do it, came before the law was given. Joshua and Caleb entered the promised land in their old age in the faith of Abraham.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4

YLT ¹ And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, ² and all to Moses were baptized in the cloud, and in the sea; ³ and all the same spiritual food did eat, ⁴ and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Christ;

The pillar of fire and the darkness came between the Israelites and the Egyptians in the wilderness. The light was on the side of the Israelites. They came out of the Red Sea baptism clean of the old cursed body that would not submit to God’s word. Another bodily separation took the next 40 years due to the faithlessness of 10 of God’s scouts. The spies were in the wilderness for 40 days before failing the test. 10 out of 12 spies brought a bad report. Of course Jesus passed His 40 day test in the wilderness and returned to rule the land in the power of the Holy Spirit. Old covenant Israel was cursed to remain in the wilderness for 40 years as the new covenant progressed. The promised curses for the disobedience of the body of Israelites after entering the land are delineated in Deuteronomy 28. By faith the Jews were receiving the promises of Abraham while the unfaithful clung to the dirt they could see.

Moses described the sure curses that were to come upon the people of Israel for breaking their covenant with the Lord. The promise to give the land to the descendants of Abraham was a unilateral promise from Yahweh. Abraham would for sure be blessed and for sure he would become a blessing to the nations. Keeping the promised land under the law covenant was another matter. Moses said the Israelites would for sure not keep the law of the land to the age. Their sure promises were curses for their sure disobediences as described in Deuteronomy 28:15–46. Some of the coming curses include: 

• Being cursed in the city and in the country
• Cursed offspring
• Cursed produce of the ground
• Cursed increase of the herd
• Cursed young of the flock
• Foreign invasion and siege
• Heat and drought
• Blight and mildew
• Dust storms
• Being given to enemies as slaves

Moses inflicted Ten Plagues on Egypt to separate God’s people coming out from the Egyptians (old culture). 

• Water turning to blood
• Frogs
• Lice
• Swarms of wild beasts
• Livestock epidemic
• Boils
• Hail
• Locusts
• Darkness
• Death of the firstborn

The death of the first born was a national death, especially the death of the king’s son. The first born of the Egyptian families died because they did not believe Moses and apply the blood to the post and lintel. evidently some Egyptian households did believe. Any family who applied the blood of the lamb to their house would not suffer the death of their first born son. Through the first born the inheritance of the 12 tribes remained. The nation was being separated between believers and unbelievers, not between races. All the believers were being set free. The unbelievers were losing their inheritance. A mixed multitude left Egypt. Joseph himself, who became the right hand of the king in the story of the sons of Jacob, married an Egyptian woman (the daughter of an Egyptian priest, no less). The Israelites intermarried with the Egyptians.

Exodus 12:37-40

KJV ³⁷ And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. ³⁸ And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. ³⁹ And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual. ⁴⁰ Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

Jesus Himself came to divide the believers from the unbelievers, even among His own flesh and blood Jewish family members. The first Exodus contained a mixed multitude pointing to the New Covenant fulfillment when the believers from the Gentiles would join the faithful Jews in the spiritual rebirth of their national firstborn. According to Joh 3:16, spiritual rebirth was the only way to live to the age and obtain the kingdom promises. Faith in the true Lamb of God is the only way.

John 3:16

YLT ¹⁶ for God did so love the world, that His Son—the only begotten—He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

It’s all about sonship. Who would emerge as the true sons of the promise? Would it be the sons in the flesh or the sons in the Spirit? The sons in the flesh were persecuting the sons of the promise in the first century. Paul says the persecution was “now”. The sons in the flesh were not cast out until AD 70. God was being patient with His people not wanting any to perish to the age.

Galatians 4:29

YLT ²⁹ but as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now;

2 Peter 3:9

YLT ⁹ the Lord is not slow in regard to the promise, as certain count slowness, but is long-suffering to us, not counselling any to be lost but all to pass on to reformation,

Romans 8:22-25

CLV ²² For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now. ²³ Yet not only so, but we [Jews] ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body.” ²⁴ For to expectation were we saved. Now expectation, being observed, is not expectation, for what anyone is observing, why is he expecting it also? ²⁵ Now, if we are expecting what we are not observing, we are awaiting it with endurance.”

The Jews did not see what they were expecting to see. The jubilee is when all 12 tribes were scheduled to return to their original allotments in the promise land. Did God give the land to the descendants of Abraham as He promised? Yes He did. But Moses said they would not be able to keep it under law.

In Galatians 3:16, Paul interprets the “seed” of Abraham to refer to Christ alone. Paul’s interpretation is that those who believe in Christ alone for their righteousness are the sons of Abraham by promise. Galatians even says that Christ was there when God cut the unilateral covenant with Abram. “The promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed [the Messiah].” Jesus was right in the middle of cutting the covenants every time. Jesus cut the promised new covenant right between two unlawful Jews. He was in the middle separating the believing Jew from the unbelieving Jew. Jesus took the place of Abraham in His “deep sleep” and “terror” on the cross. The promises never depended on Abraham. The Son who never fell was there when the promises were made to Abraham. Jesus came to rescue His people from the fallen son of God, who was Adam.

Luke 12:49-56

YLT ⁴⁹ `Fire I came to cast to the earth [land], and what will I if already it was kindled? <sup>50</sup> but I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I pressed till it may be completed! <sup>51</sup> `Think ye that peace I came to give in the earth [land]? no, I say to you, but rather division; ⁵² for there shall be henceforth five in one house divided—three against two, and two against three; ⁵³ a father shall be divided against a son, and a son against a father, a mother against a daughter, and a daughter against a mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.’ ⁵⁴ And he said also to the multitudes, `When ye may see the cloud rising from the west, immediately ye say, A shower doth come, and it is so; ⁵⁵ and when—a south wind blowing, ye say, that there will be heat, and it is;  ⁵⁶ hypocrites! the face of the earth [land] and of the heaven ye have known to make proof of, but this time—how do ye not make proof of it ?

God’s True Son was there cutting a covenant with Abram.

Galatians 3:16

YLT ¹⁶ and to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed; He doth not say, `And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, `And to thy seed,’ which is Christ;

• God promised to multiply Abraham’s descendants as the stars in the sky. That is more than just a remnant. That is more than 144,000 faithful first century Jews. Abraham’s descendants came to include all the nations. The gospel went out to all the nations through the 12 tribes in the diaspora. They had a synagogue in every city preaching Moses. After the diaspora, the law led to Christ for Jew and Gentile alike. To the Jew first of course. They were entrusted with the Word of God. They were also the faithful first century witnesses to the resurrection. After His death, Jesus reappeared to the Jews not to the Gentiles. The Jews were then sent out to cultivate the land they were taken from. The Gentiles were not sent out from Jerusalem. The Jews were. The last appearance of Jesus after His resurrection was to Paul. Paul eventually joined the faithful Jewish witnesses (martyrs) under the real alter in heaven. Paul was not waiting under the typical alter in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the one place Jesus said not to be when He returned. Jews were being murdered by their own brethren for insisting on telling the truth, but it was God’s wrath the faithful Jews were to steer clear of in AD 70. Stephen was the first faithful Jew (full of the Holy Spirit) to be sent to heaven by the unfaithful Jews still trying to keep the typical alter. The temple in heaven was the safe place to wait. The temple in Jerusalem on earth was not a safe place in AD 70.

The Holy Spirit sent from Heaven did influence the hearts of the Jews, opening the eyes of the remnant of Israel, and through them God reached an innumerable multitude of Gentiles. The 12 tribes who gathered on Pentecost initially had over 3000 eyes opened. The representative number of the faithful remnant for that generation became 144,000. Jerusalem was not destroyed until all God’s remnant were secure in their new covenant and the fulness of that generation of Gentiles were also reached. Only after the Jews testified to the nations did the old covenant age end. Even AI can put the story of the remnant together. 3000 was just the beginning of life rather than death. 3000 represented a reversal of the curse of the law. The Holy Spirit came down to write the law of Christ on the hearts of the Jews. When Moses brought the law down from heaven, 3000 Jews were killed by the sword of the Levites that day. The law man wanted to kill them all. The faithful remnant in Elijah’s generation was 7000. The faithful remnant of new covenant Jews was prophesied to be 144,000, which is 12,000 from each tribe.

AI Overview

In the Bible, the prophet Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant so he could see the spiritual reality of the situation: 

• The situation: Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an army of horses and chariots at night. The servant was afraid and asked Elisha, “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?”. 
• Elisha’s prayer: Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see”. 
• God’s response: God opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 
• The outcome: Elisha then prayed to God to strike the army with blindness, and God did so. Elisha led the army to Samaria, telling them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for”. 

Generative AI is experimental.

John the baptist came out of the wilderness in the spirit of Elijah and called every believing Jew to a Baptism of repentance, in preparation for the Christ ‘whose sandals he was not worthy to untie’. There was nobody greater than John in the old covenant except Jesus (Matthew 11:11). But old covenant John was not preaching the gospel. Just as old covenant Elijah called Israel back to Yahweh as a doomed people under God’s wrath, so the old covenant baptizer called the Jews to repent and be reformed in the flesh. The old covenant Jews were emerging out of the baptismal water to a reformation, even before the Pentecost of their spiritual rebirth arrived. Jesus told the Jews they must be born of water and of Spirit. John told them that Jesus would baptize them in the Spirit. The new covenant baptism was a greater work than the old covenant baptism.

Jesus even told the chosen Jews that they would do greater works in the new covenant than He was doing in the old covenant. Did Peter, Paul and John do greater works in the new covenant then what Jesus was doing? Jesus was healing flesh and blood bodies. Jesus did His greatest old covenant wok on the cross. 50 days later, the gospel went out by way of the Jews. The gospel gave eternal life to the mortal bodies. The mortal bodies were the nations (each nation is a covenant creation). People from the Jewish nation were being saved first. All national bodies were mortal. The new covenant body of Christ became the only immortal body. People from all nations were being resurrected into the immortal body of Christ. The healing of the nations brought functionality not immortality. Only the gospel grants immortality to mortal national bodies. Jerusalem today is a dead and dying diseased body as long as the gospel is illegal. Of what higher purpose do mortal bodies serve? A body that cannot preach the gospel of eternal life is a lame body. The truth revealed and applied heals any nation. When a body kills it’s own functionality we call it an autoimmune disease.

Only Jesus’ baptism appeared as a new spirit born creation of land coming out of water by way of the Spirit of creation hovering over the water. The 40 year reformation of the nation of Israel started with the baptism of Jesus by John. Jesus breathed on the chosen Jews 3 1/2 years later on the very day He was resurrected by the Holy spirit, proleptically demonstrating the spiritual reformation that was just 50 days away. The healing of the old covenant body was underway. The essential spiritual reformation of the Jews started when Jesus was baptized by John. When the hypocrites tried to be baptized by John he asked, who warned you to flee the wrath to come? John didn’t accept their pretense. Both John and Jesus faced down the Jewish hypocrites. They were the body’s autoimmune system gone wrong. They were tryiing to illiminate the truth tellers of the body.

This was a real reformation Jesus was heading up. It had no place for the pretending Jews. The Holy Spirit enablement that Jesus shared with the Jews while He was in the old covenant was made permanent with them in the new. Jesus ruled over His creation (humanity) even in the old covenant flesh and blood mode. Had the 12 spies faithfully returned from their 40 days in the wilderness they would have ruled in the promised land 40 years sooner. The curse of the 40 year reformation became a blessing in the hands of Jesus. Jesus’ disciples were permanently endowed to rule with Jesus’ humanity halfway through the last week of Daniel. They reigned over God’s creation for 40 years of reformation with the enablement of Jesus.

Matthew 3:16-17

YLT ¹⁶ And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo, opened to him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him, ¹⁷ and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, `This is My Son—the Beloved, in whom I did delight.’

Luke 4:13-15

LITV ¹³ And having finished every temptation, the Devil departed from Him until a time. ¹⁴ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee. And a report went out through all the neighborhood about Him. ¹⁵ And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus was the only true imager. He alone didn’t need healing. The scars on His body came from the pretenders. By His bodily wounds their national body was healed.

Matthew 24:14

YLT ¹⁴ and this good news of the reign shall be proclaimed in all the world, for a testimony to all the nations; and then shall the end arrive.

John the old covenant baptizer, had spoken of the Messiah gathering his wheat into the barn and burning the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matt. 3:12). Even John was expecting this judgment to come to the unfaithful rather than the faithful. He was confounded when he didn’t see it. In prison for truth telling, John asked if Jesus was The One. But we shouldn’t be too hard on old covenant John. Jesus wasn’t ruling over creation as expected by the Jews. Jesus didn’t come to remove all unbelieving Jews from Jerusalem. He actually told all the faithful Jews to leave Jerusalem. Jesus came to separate believers from unbelievers in the spirit realm. Believers couldn’t see the kingdom until after Pentecost. Jesus said spiritual rebirth was the only way to see the new covenant kingdom. Sonship is called adoption under law. Rebirth into the spirit realm family came when the Holy Spirit arrived in Jerusalem. Heaven is in the spirit realm. The new Jerusalem is being kept incorruptible in heaven. Jesus went to prepare a place so we could be where He is. Evidently John died and went to Hades where he waited for Jesus to save him.

Romans 8:16

YLT ¹⁶ The Spirit himself doth testify with our spirit, that we are children of God;

Acts 1:8

YLT ⁸ but ye shall receive power at the coming of the Holy Spirit upon you [Jews], and ye [Jews] shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and unto the end of the earth [land].’

Who took the gospel from Pentecost in Jerusalem back to every nation under heaven if not the 12 apostles and the 12 tribes who gathered for that day? A replacement for Judas was sovereignly chosen just prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:21-26). The 12 apostles and the 12 tribes were there.

Acts 2:5

YLT ⁵ And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation of those under the heaven,

Romans 10:18

YLT ¹⁸ but I say, Did they not hear? yes, indeed—`to all the earth their voice went forth, and to the ends of the habitable world their sayings.’

Acts 15:21

YLT ²¹ for Moses from former generations in every city hath those preaching him—in the synagogues every sabbath being read.’

Jerusalem was not destroyed until the Jews from all 12 tribes received the Holy Spirit. They preached the gospel to their own people first and then took their good news to the other nations too.

Revelation 7:3-10

YLT ³ `Do not injure the land, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we may seal the servants of our God upon their foreheads.’ <sup>4</sup> And I heard the number of those sealed, (one hundred and forty four thousands were sealed out of all the tribes of the sons of Israel): <sup>5</sup> of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; <sup>6</sup> of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; <sup>7</sup> of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; <sup>8</sup> of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed. <sup>9</sup> After these things I saw, and lo, a great multitude, which to number no one was able, out of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands, <sup>10</sup> and crying with a great voice, saying, `The salvation is to Him who is sitting upon the throne—to our God, and to the Lamb!’ [There is only one salvation for Jew and Gentile alike. The chosen Jews were sealed for the day of salvation before the chosen Gentiles joined the body of the saved.]

Romans 13:11

YLT ¹¹ And this, knowing the time, that for us, the hour already is to be aroused out of sleep, for now nearer is our salvation than when we did believe;

Ephesians 1:13

YLT ¹³ in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth—the good news of your salvation—in whom also having believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise,

Hebrews 9:28

YLT ²⁸ so also the Christ, once having been offered to bear the sins of many, a second time, apart from a sin-offering, shall appear, to those waiting for him—to salvation!

Jesus was resurrected as the final sin offering. He had yet to offer His sacrifice in the real temple in heaven as a priest in th order of Melchizadek. Only after His ascension did He send the Holy Spirit of God’s presence to His chosen people gathered in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit met the Jews “in the air” in Jerusalem. A blast of wind announced God’s spirit realm presence. The presence of God was restored by the new firstborn. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit down to the Jews in Jerusalem. The old firstborn lost his standing in God’s presence. Both Adam and the nation lost the ability to stand in the presence of God, through disobedience. It was through the obedience of Christ that the Holy Spirit returned to a Jewish body in the old covenant land. It was through the sacrificial obedience of Christ that the Holy Spirit was granted to His new covenant people, chosen from all 12 tribes who gathered out of the nations for Pentecost. The new covenant is better because the Holy Spirit gave standing to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 9:24 – to the Hebrews first

ECB ²⁴ For the Messiah entered not the handmade Holies [in the handmade temple in Jerusalem] – antitypes of the true; but the heavens thereof, to manifest for us [Hebrews] now at the face of Elohim:

Hebrews 13:10-13

LITV ¹⁰ We [born again Hebrews] have an altar of which those serving the tabernacle have no authority to eat. ¹¹ For of the animals whose “blood is brought” by the high priest “into the Holy of Holies” concerning sins, of these the bodies “are burned outside the camp.” Lev. 16:27 ¹² Indeed, because of this, in order that He might sanctify the people [the chosen people of God] by His own blood, Jesus suffered outside the gate. ¹³ So let us [Hebrews] go forth to Him outside the camp bearing His reproach.

Acts 17:24-25 – to the Gentiles too

LITV ²⁴ The God who made the world and all things in it, this One being Lord of Heaven and of earth, does not dwell in handmade temples, ²⁵ nor is served by hands of men, as having need of anything. For He is giving life and breath and all things to all.

• Circumcision: God commanded Abraham and his descendants to perform the ritual of circumcision as a symbol of the old covenant. Even before the law Isaac was circumcised to symbolize a new creation not in the flesh. As the full transition of covenants neared circumcision in the flesh became a symbol of unbelief. Keeping the types faded and even became prohibited as the full transition became nearer. Circumcision came to represent the stubborn refusal to abandon the types for the real thing.

Galatians 5:2 NLT Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.

Romans 2:28-29

YLT ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is so outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in flesh; ²⁹ but a Jew is he who is so inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God.

Online Parallel Study Bible

Here are some other details about the “seed of Abraham” in Galatians:

Paul wrote Galatians to correct the false teaching coming into the church from the Judaizers coming out of Jerusalem. Some Pharisees who believed in Christ taught the Gentile Christians that they must become sons of Abraham through the law before they can be saved: specifically the law of circumcision. Yet nobody could save themself by keeping the law. Not even genetic Jews.

Acts 15:1-11

KJV ¹ And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. ² When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. ³ And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. ⁴ And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. ⁵ But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. ⁶ And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. ⁷ And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. ⁸ And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; ⁹ And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now therefore why tempt ye God [by requiring the law for salvation], to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Trusting the law for salvation was a sure way to die. Like when Satan told Jesus to throw Himself off the temple.

The “seed of Abraham” in the flesh can refer to the many seeds, meaning all 12 tribes under law. It is however the One spiritual Seed who redeemed the 12 tribes from the law that always brings death. Those who chose to remain under law are compared to the seed in the works of the flesh, i. e., Ishmael. Even the promised seed of Abraham experienced a separation from the seed in the flesh. Those who were born of the Holy Spirit were no longer in the flesh. Isaac and Ishmael were separated because Ishmael was persecuting Isaac. Isaac typically represents faith in God’s word rather than the works of the flesh. Requiring circumcision after Galatians was written was to side with Ishmael and the works of the flesh and the persecution coming from the old covenant Jews who wanted to keep the law covenant in the flesh.

Galatians 4:29

YLT ²⁹ but as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now;

The promised seed of Abraham according to Galatians is those who have faith in God apart from the law. Abram had faith before the law. Paul’s belief in the law was corrected after he met Jesus. The law covenant was going away, regardless of ethnicity. Paul stood up to Peter and other hypocritical Jews for giving in to the Judaizers. The division was supposed to be between those who followed Christ and those who didn’t. The separation was not between the circumcised and the uncircumcised in the flesh.

Galatians 2:11-13

CLV ¹¹ Now when Cephas came to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, for he was self-censured.” ¹² For, before the coming of some from James [yacobus], he ate together with those of the nations. Yet when they came, he shrank back, and severed himself, fearing those of the Circumcision.” ¹³ And the rest of the Jews also play the hypocrite with him, so that Barnabas also was led away with their hypocrisy.”

Galatians 3:10a,13,14,16,17

YLT ¹⁰ for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, …. ¹³ Christ did redeem us from the curse of the law, having become for us a curse, for it hath been written, `Cursed is every one who is hanging on a tree,’ <sup>14</sup> that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith. <sup>16</sup> and to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed; He doth not say, `And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, `And to thy seed,’ which is Christ; ¹⁷ and this I say, A covenant confirmed before by God to Christ, [Christ confirmed the Abrahamic covenant before the law of Moses] the law, that came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not set aside, to make void the promise, [The law proved the promised seed was essential.]

The prophecy of the One “seed” begins in Genesis 3:15, where the “seed of the woman” will crush the “seed of satan”. The separation Jesus made in Jerusalem was between God’s seed and the seed of Satan.

Matthew 13:37-42

YLT ³⁷ And he answering said to them, `He who is sowing the good seed is the Son of Man, <sup>38</sup> and the field is the world, and the good seed, these are the sons of the reign, and the darnel are the sons of the evil one, <sup>39</sup> and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is a full end of the age, and the reapers are messengers. <sup>40</sup> `As, then, the darnel is gathered up, and is burned with fire, so shall it be in the full end of this age, ⁴¹ the Son of Man shall send forth his messengers, and they shall gather up out of his kingdom all the stumbling-blocks, and those doing the lawlessness, ⁴² and shall cast them to the furnace of the fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.

The true Jews eventually stopped requiring circumcision. True Jews had the Holy Spirit of the new creation living in them. The Holy Spirit Jesus sent to Paul stood up to the hypocrites. It was Paul’s specialty. Paul himself previously consented to death with the law breakers. Claiming to keep the law in the flesh was a form of spiritual suicide. Jesus personally stopped Paul dead in his tracks. It must have made a big impression on him.

Romans 2:28-29

YLT ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is so outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in flesh; ²⁹ but a Jew is he who is so inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God.

The first century Christ followers in Corinth were also witnessing the end of the ages. The Hebrews in diaspora were the first to receive the Holy Spirit. Salvation is of the Jews. The early church was composed of Jewish reformers. They certainly understood that the salvation had its origin in and through the Jewish traditions. Salvation was not limited to Jews only. Not for long anyway. After Paul exhausted the Jewish harvest he turned to the Gentile harvest. The gospel message was and still is based in the Jewish storyline, even when Paul informed the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 10:1-11

YLT ¹ And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that all our [Jewish] fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, ² and all to Moses were baptized in the cloud, and in the sea; ³ and all the same spiritual food did eat, ⁴ and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Christ; ⁵ but in the most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn in the wilderness, ⁶ and those things became types of us, for our not passionately desiring evil things, as also these did desire. ⁷ Neither become ye idolaters, as certain of them, as it hath been written, `The people sat down to eat and to drink, and stood up to play;’ ⁸ neither may we commit whoredom, as certain of them did commit whoredom, and there fell in one day twenty-three thousand; ⁹ neither may we tempt the Christ, as also certain of them did tempt, and by the serpents did perish; ¹⁰ neither murmur ye, as also some of them did murmur, and did perish by the destroyer. ¹¹ And all these things as types did happen to those persons, and they were written for our [Jew and Gentile] admonition, to whom the end of the ages did come,

Hebrews 1:1-3

YLT ¹ In many parts, and many ways, God of old having spoken to the fathers in the prophets, ² in these last days did speak to us [Hebrews] in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He did make the ages; ³ who being the brightness of the glory, and the impress of His subsistence [in His image], bearing up also the all things by the saying of his might—through himself having made a cleansing of our [Hebrews] sins, sat down at the right hand of the greatness in the highest,

The Old Covenant place of repose (sleep) was called Sheol or Hades. It was the place where all humanity waited for the Messiah to come and open the gates for His people. Jesus was the first Jew to come out of His old covenant place of the dead and into His New Covenant resurrection. Jesus was the only new covenant church member for 50 days. Over 3000 Jews joined Him 50 days after His resurrection, on His old to new covenant Pentecost. Stephen then became the first Jew to die and go to heaven after Jesus was resurrected. The post-cross Jews who were martyred for truth telling did not go to Hades to wait for the new covenant consummation, like pre-cross Jews did. Jesus even told the believing Jews to be out of Jerusalem before that old covenant city was destroyed. Those Jews who didn’t believe Jesus waited for the resurrection in old covenant Jerusalem. They were expecting a full resurrection of al 12 tribes. God did not destroy His chosen people from any of the tribes. Only the Jews who weren’t believers were destroyed. Turned out Jesus was right. The city and the temple were destroyed in AD 70. It was not a good place to be at that time. Second death awaited those not in the resurrection of the body of Christ.

After the new covenant marriage to the new first born over all creation, the resurrected church became the mother of all the living. Because of that, nobody goes to wait in Hades for the new covenant marriage. Jesus told His chosen Jews to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come down to them so they could be prepared to stand and they could prepare the church to stand. The reformed became the reformers. They were supernaturally endowed to build the new covenant temple. Jesus told Nicodemus (the teacher of the Jews) that life to the age was only by way of the Holy Spirit birth.

Today Christians die and go directly to heaven not to Hades. Hades was for all those who died in old covenant Adam or old covenant Israel, regardless of their belief or unbelief. Many Jews died believing in the coming Messiah long before He came, yet there were no born again Jews before Jesus actually came and resurrected them. Jesus died as the Lamb of God to save the old covenant firstborn from certain death. Both Adam and Israel are called the Old Covenant first born. Jesus didn’t die in the new covenant of the Jews. He died in the old covenant of the Jews. Jesus will never die to save the new covenant first born. He is the new covenant first born. That is how He saves His chosen people from perishing. He births them into His spiritual family. He took the place of the first born’s death, on the cross, and overcame it. Both the first born man and the first born nation died in the Old Covenant. Jesus also died in the old covenant. He doesn’t die in the new covenant. The new covenant is the only old covenant salvation we know of. People in the new covenant don’t need saved from the fallen first born. The new covenant firstborn keeps the inheritance safe.

Exodus 4:22

CLV ²² So you will say to Pharaoh: Thus says Yahweh, My son, My firstborn, is Israel.

1 Corinthians 15:20

CLV ²⁰ (Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing.”

Those who were reposing were in Hades. Jesus was the first fruit to come out of Hades.

John 2:19

KJV ¹⁹ Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Matthew 12:40

 ⁴⁰ for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster; so shall the Son of humanity be: three days and three nights in the heart of the land.

Acts 2:31-37

YLT ³¹ having foreseen, he did speak concerning the rising again of the Christ, that his soul was not left to hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³² `This Jesus did God raise up, of which we [Jews] are all witnesses; <sup>33</sup> at the right hand then of God having been exalted—also the promise of the Holy Spirit having received from the Father—he was shedding forth this, which now ye see and hear; <sup>34</sup> for David did not go up to the heavens, and he saith himself: The Lord saith to my lord, Sit thou at my right hand, <sup>35</sup> till I make thy foes thy footstool; <sup>36</sup> assuredly, therefore, let all the house of Israel know, that both Lord and Christ did God make him—this Jesus whom ye did crucify.’ <sup>37</sup> And having heard, they were pricked to the heart; they say also to Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, `What shall we do, men, brethren?’

Jesus’ body was preserved from corruption not restored from corruption. It was preserved unchanged. Old Covenant Jesus looked just like New Covenant Jesus. Jesus said. , “Look it is I.” He pointed to familiarity to prove His New Covenant resurrection to His Old Covenant chosen ones. The Jewish witnesses He appeared to lived on dirt not in Heaven or Hades. They could not naturally see Him in the spirit realm of Hades or Heaven. When they recognized Him in one of His appearances they thought He was a supernatural apparition from the place of the dead and they were afraid. Seeing into the spirit realm is scary, but they were actually seeing the same flesh body they saw Him in before He died. In context Jesus was pointing to His sameness, not to His glorified flesh and bone body that now lives forever. why wouldn’t Jesus’ Old Covenant body live forever? Jesus could walk on water in the Old Covenant. Jesus did not inherit the death of Adam nor did He sin. why did Jesus need a new body in order to live forever? He changed covenants for His people, not for Himself. Had Jesus lived to the age in His Old Covenant body He would have lived forever. At 37 years of Age Jesus would have arrived alive to the millennial Jubilee of the Jews. It was His Old Covenant flesh and blood sacrifice that rescued His people, not His glorified flesh. Where does the Bible promote living for the flesh let alone living forever because of the glorified flesh? The mind of the flesh cannot please God. Be careful what you hope for. “In the flesh” biblically represents the Old Covenant Jews. Only Jews in the Spirit are God’s chosen people. The biblical definition of a true Jew after Pentecost is anyone who has the Holy Spirit.

Romans 2:28-29

YLT ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is so outwardly, neither is circumcision that which is outward in flesh; ²⁹ but a Jew is he who is so inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in spirit, not in letter, of which the praise is not of men, but of God.

Luke 24:36-39

YLT ³⁶ and as they are speaking these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith to them, `Peace—to you;’ <sup>37</sup> and being amazed, and becoming affrighted, they were thinking themselves to see a spirit. <sup>38</sup> And he said to them, `Why are ye troubled? and wherefore do reasonings come up in your hearts? ³⁹ see my hands and my feet, that I am he; handle me and see, because a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me having.’

Believe it or not this is a key verse for those who believe that everlasting flesh bodies live in heaven or on earth. Jesus here claims to have a flesh and bone body not a flesh and blood body. (His point was that He was not an apparition. ) With this ridiculous caveat Jesus supposedly inherits the kingdom in His flesh and bone body rather than His flesh and blood body. The Bible says that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God ( 1 Corinthians 15:44-50). Therefore, Jesus’ physical body could not be raised in flesh and blood lest it contradict this verse. The assumption is that He inherits the kingdom while retaining a flesh and bone rather than a flesh and blood body. The ancients used the phrase flesh and bone the same way we use the phrase flesh and blood. Both phrases literally imply mortality, not immortality. If the life is in the blood then how did Jesus have a living flesh and bone body without it? Over-exegesis (AKA iesegesis) is a spin zone where desperate interpreters are grasping to explain their biases. They claim to be the only ones who take this verse literally. Literarily literally means, “according to the form of literature”, i.e., literaturely which is what they so obviously ignore. Robots understand literature better than these so called humans.

If Jesus went straight from Hades to heaven who would know? For 40 days He appeared to the Jewish witnesses. He had yet to ascend to the real temple in heaven as high priest without genealogy to offer His Old Covenant Jewish life for the redemption of His people. His people could not keep the Old Covenant law and live to the age like He could. Jesus grants His resurrection life to His people from His New Covenant. Jesus could not be their first born priest in the Old covenant because He was a genetic Jew. He laid down His Old Covenant soul only to take it up again in the New. Jesus became the firstborn over all creation in His new creation. The New Creation was the New Covenant not a new physical body that never dies. Jesus was raised into the New Covenant in the same physical body He had before. He goes out of the way to say that. Maybe you think God sacrificed His Son for the Gentiles and not the Hebrews. Maybe God should have written a letter to the Hebrews about the need for their sacrificial system even after their Messiah came.

Hebrews 10:8-10 – Written to the Hebrews about their sacrificial system being replaced, not revived

YLT ⁸ saying above—`Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offering Thou didst not will, nor delight in,’ —which according to the law are offered— <sup>9</sup> then he said, `Lo, I come to do, O God, Thy will;’ he doth take away the first [covenant] that the second [covenant] he may establish;  ¹⁰ in the which will we [Hebrews] are, having been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once,

1 Corinthians 15:22

LITV ²² for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Adam was made alive but he could and did die. He was made alive yet he chose to die. Everyone in Adam was dead and dying. Jesus chose to die in Adam’s place, because the Old Covenant death could not hold Him. Hades could not hold Him. Jesus could only die the first death of Old Covenant humanity. The second Old Covenant death was fast approaching. That is why Jesus cut a New Covenant. Those in the resurrection of Christ would not be harmed at all by the second Old Covenant death. Death to the age of 1000 was the second death that was at hand. Death to the age of 490 was the first national death. When the 10 jubilees are added the 490 becomes 500. Those who were in the flesh rather than in the Spirit were about to die the second Old Covenant death of the Jews at the end of the second 490 years of failure. Flesh without blood is biologically dead flesh not everliving glorified flesh. Only the Jews who applied the blood of the Lamb to their post lived to the age. Jesus told the teacher of the Jews that there was only one way to live to the age. It was Holy Spirit rebirth not glorified flesh and bone that took the Jews to the age alive rather than dead. The first born of the new creation did not fall for Satan while He was in the old creation. He did not test God by falling just to see if God would save Him. The first born of the old creation did fall for Satan. New creation life came from the Holy Spirit of the new creation not the flesh circumcision. Jesus sent the Spirit down from heaven to the Jews on Pentecost. Pentecost was the birthday of God’s first born nation in the flesh; called Israel. They were no longer in the flesh after receiving the Holy Spirit. The head of the body was no longer Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses or David. The head was no longer in the flesh: new covenant creation, kept incorruptible in heaven.

John 3:1-3

KJV ¹ There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. ³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

To a first century Jew the reign of God was seen when the 12 tribes were in the promised land under the law. Moses told the 12 tribes that they would not be in the land for long because they would not obey the law. Nevertheless, that was still the hope of the first century Jew. Even though the Jews were occupying a small portion of the original allotments and they were being ruled by the Romans they were still hoping for a full resurrection of all 12 tribes back into all of their original allotments; back under the law they could not keep. No nation could have kept the law of the Jews and lived. The law kills because everyone beaks the law. The law is holy, righteous and true. The weakness of the law is in the flesh. Born again Jews were no longer in the flesh.

Romans 8:3-4

KJV ³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

John 11:25-26

YLT ²³ Jesus saith to her, `Thy brother shall rise again.’ <sup>24</sup> Martha saith to him, `I have known that he will rise again, in the rising again in the last day;’ ²⁵ Jesus said to her, `I am the rising again, and the life; he who is believing in me, even if he may die, shall live; <sup>26</sup> and every one who is living and believing in me shall not die—to the age; <sup>27</sup> believest thou this?’ she saith to him, `Yes, sir, I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming to the world.’

Mary knew the resurrection was to be in the last day. The thousand year jubilee was near. Jesus claimed to be that resurrection. Was Jesus in the last day? When did God bring the new first born to the Hebrews if not “in these last days“? Jesus wasn’t the first born of the covenant until the day of First Fruit. Jesus was the only begotten in the Old Covenant. He became first born of the New Covenant, after He took Adam’s place on the cross. He died as eschatos Adam. On the third day Jesus appeared to the Hebrews as the new first born. He was the first one in the New Covenant resurrection. Where do we say eternal life comes from if not the first born of the New Covenant?

Romans 5:14-15

CLV ¹⁴ nevertheless death reigns from Adam unto Moses, over those also who do not sin in the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him Who is about to be.” ¹⁵ But not as the offense, thus also the grace. For if, by the offense of the one, the many died, much rather the grace of God and the gratuity in grace, which is of the One Man, Jesus Christ, to the many superabounds.”

Adam was made alive yet he chose to die the day he ate. His physical death at 930 years old kept him from dying his permanent death at 1000. Everyone in Adam also died the first death. David died at 70 years of age and Solomon died about 930 BC. David represents Christ and Solomon represents Adam. David was a man after God’s own heart. Solomon died with his heart turned to his wives. In Christ all (God’s chosen) are made alive, (meaning everyone in the new creation is born again alive). There is no death threat for the new covenant firstborn or for His progeny. All in Adam die. All in Christ live. The Bible was completed during the transition of covenants when the threat of the thousand year death was still looming. Jesus enacted on last short delay when He was cut off in the last week of the second 490 years of Daniel.

Jesus was born into the mortal creation of Adam and Israel in the old covenant. If He wasn’t born into a mortal body then how could He die? The new covenant is now everlasting. Everlasting life was given to my mortal body even though it is still mortal in the flesh. It is not the body of flesh alone that inherits eternal life. If so Adam would have been alowwed to live to the age. Adam died a spiritual death the day he disobeyed. Had he lived to the age of 1000 he would have arrived to the age spiritually dead. The old covenant has since died dead at 1000. There is no resurrection from second death. Second death is not physical death. It is a second spiritual death. Ultimately spiritual death is annihilation. There is no return from perishing. The Holy Spirit was not in the temple made by hands (or remodeled by Herod) in AD 70. Jerusalem died dead at 500 years and at 1000 years. The Holy Spirit was in all God’s chosen people in AD 70. All the Jewish martyrs died alive in their new covenant. Nobody dies dead in the new covenant. Jesus was resurrected from His first old covenant death, not the second death of AD 70. Those in the first resurrection of Jesus were not harmed by the second death. Had Jesus lived to the age, He alone would be living in the old covenant today. The new covenant firstborn never dies. Who would Jesus be saving if He died as firstborn of His new creation?

1 Corinthians 15:22

YLT ²² for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive,

Hebrews 1:1-6

YLT ¹ In many parts, and many ways, God of old having spoken to the fathers in the prophets, ² in these last days did speak to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, [Adam was the first born of humanity. Jesus is now the first born of all creation: Jews and Gentiles] through whom also He did make the ages; ³ who being the brightness of the glory, and the impress of His subsistence, bearing up also the all things by the saying of his might—through himself having made a cleansing of our [Hebrew] sins, sat down at the right hand of the greatness in the highest, ⁴ having become so much better than the messengers, as he did inherit a more excellent name than they. ⁵ For to which of the messengers said He ever, `My Son thou art—I to-day have begotten thee?‘ and again, `I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son?’ ⁶ and when again He may bring in the first-born to the world, [Adam was the first born in the old world] He saith, `And let them bow before him—all messengers of God;’

God raised Jesus as the new first born to the world of the Jews so they could be His faithful witnesses. He again brought His firstborn to the Old Jewish world after 37 years of faithful Jewish witnessing to all of creation. The Day of the Lord was at hand. Even the eleven had to be fully convinced it was really Jesus who was resurrected. They had to recognize Him firsthand.

Mark 16:14-15

YLT ¹⁴ Afterwards, as they are reclining (at meat), he was manifested to the eleven, and did reproach their unbelief and stiffness of heart, because they believed not those having seen him being raised; ¹⁵ and he said to them, `Having gone to all the world, proclaim the good news to all the creation;

Literaturely, “all the creation” refers to all nationalities of people, not rocks and bugs. 

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to Jerusalem so the Jews could join Him as His resurrection witnesses. He granted life to the age while they lived in their mortal flesh and blood and bone bodies. The Jewish martyrs who died for truth telling were now going to heaven not Hades. Peter and Paul didn’t go to Hades when they died. Old Covenant Jews went to Hades. Jesus was an Old Covenant Jew when He died and went to Hades. Paul was a New Covenant Jew when he died so Paul did not go to Hades. Stephen was the first New Covenant Jew to die and go to heaven rather than Hades. Jesus really did save His chosen people. He cut a New Covenant with His Old Covenant body. The New Covenant did not come out of nowhere. It came out of the Old Covenant. The Jews who came out were the faithful witnesses. Paul mentions over 500 Jewish witnesses of the New Covenant resurrection of the Jews. Most of therm were still biologically alive. Being a New Covenant Jew did not change their biology. They still died physically even though Jesus personally told them they would never die if they believed Him.

John 11:26

YLT ²⁶ and every one who is living and believing in me shall not die—to the age;

Dying to the age refers to the Old Covenant age. Stephen was martyred for believing in Jesus. Did Stephen die to the age or was Jesus telling the truth? Stephen was stoned to death by Old Covenant people trying to keep their covenant in the flesh. New Covenant heaven opened for Stephen. Stephen was the second Jew to go directly to heaven. He did not die when the Old Covenant age ended. Stephen lived to the age.

John 3:16

YLT ¹⁶ for God did so love the world, that His Son—the only begotten—He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8

YLT ³ for I delivered to you first, what also I did receive, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Writings, ⁴ and that he was buried, and that he hath risen on the third day, according to the Writings, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, ⁶ afterwards he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain till now, and certain also did fall asleep; ⁷ afterwards he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸ And last of all—as to the untimely birth—he appeared also to me,

1 Corinthians 15:35-37

YLT ³⁵ But some one will say, `How do the dead rise? ³⁶ unwise! thou—what thou dost sow is not quickened except it may die; ³⁷ and that which thou dost sow, not the body that shall be dost thou sow, but bare grain, it may be of wheat, or of some one of the others,

Paul looks around and gives a nature lesson, like God does to Job. There are earthy examples of resurrection life all around us. Jesus was raised on first fruit of the barley harvest. The Jews were resurrected on the first fruit of wheat harvest. These are only analogies because we can’t see the spirit realm while with our flesh and blood eyes. Since we can see physical realm bodies, Paul gives an extensive list of the bodies we do see. We can only understand the spirit realm resurrection by comparing it to physical realm deaths and resurrections.

The word “unwise” may be translated foolish or unthinking. Paul tries to get us to think about the resurrected body by looking around at what we can so obviously see. We can see a seed that appears to be lifeless come to life out of the dirt. All we can do is plant it and water it. God makes it grow up. Seeds grow into plants that look nothing like the seed planted. The first example Paul gives is the wheat seed. The wheat seed represents the resurrection of the Jews. The Holy Spirit resurrection of the Jews on Pentecost was not what they expected to see. You expect to see a sunflower grow from a sunflower seed because you have seen it before. But it was astounding the first time you saw it. The plant looks nothing like the seed planted. Even so, your body in heaven is fantastically more glorious than the seed planted in the earth. We cant see our heavenly body yet. Jesus referred to His Old Covenant body as the seed of wheat fallen to the land that bears much fruit. Jesus’ Old Covenant body was the sacrifice He would offer in the real temple in heaven as the high priest without genealogy. His flesh and blood body on earth had Mary’s Jewish genealogy. He could not be a priest on earth because He was born from the tribe of Judah. He sacrificed that Old Covenant body in order to become a high priest in the order of Melchizadec.

1 Corinthians 3:6

YLT ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth;

It was the born again seed of the woman (Jesus) who sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to the first fruit day of the Jew’s wheat harvest. The body of Christ became a spirit realm resurrection on that particular Pentecost. It came 50 days after His resurrection. The 12 tribes of Israel were born from above that day. The Holy Spirit did not make their flesh bodies immortal any more than Jesus’ body that was born again by the Holy Spirit. This is when the New Covenant resurrection of Israel joined Jesus’ resurrection. The 12 tribes had assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate their soilish birthday. They were born again that day. The Jews in the flesh wanted a flesh and blood resurrection not a heavenly one. They expected and wanted all 12 tribes to return to their original allotments on the next scheduled Jubilee; especially since this was going to be the millennial Jubilee. The most extensive resurrection chapter in the Bible nixes any hope of a flesh and blood resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:49-50

CLV ⁴⁹ And according as we wear the image of the soilish, we should be wearing the image also of the Celestial.” ⁵⁰ Now this I am averring, brethren, that flesh and blood is not able to enjoy an allotment in the kingdom of God, neither is corruption enjoying the allotment of incorruption.”

John 3:5-6

YLT ⁵ Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God; ⁶ that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit.

Nicodemus envisioned being born again from his mother. Nicodemus envisioned a flesh and blood rebirth. Everyone who has a flesh body was born out of water. Jesus does not say they must get a new flesh body by being born out of water a second time. The second birth is by the Holy Spirit not the flesh. The one New Covenant requirement is rebirth. Those who do not have Holy Spirit are not God’s chosen people.

Romans 8:9-11

YLT ⁹ And ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God doth dwell in you; and if any one hath not the Spirit of Christ—this one is not His; ¹⁰ and if Christ is in you, the body, indeed, is dead because of sin, and the Spirit is life because of righteousness, ¹¹ and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken [give life to] also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you.

Christians still die biologically even after the Holy Spirit gives their mortal body New Covenant life. It is not the body of flesh that the Holy Spirit came to save. Eternal life is given to God’s people while they are still in a dying body of flesh. Flesh bodies don’t become immortal. They still die. so what kind of life does the Holy Spirit give to our mortal body? Heavenly bodies are not dying bodies. Earthy bodies are all destined to die. To enter the kingdom requires Holy Spirit rebirth, not resurrected flesh. It is not a flesh and blood resurrection that inherits the kingdom. It is those born by way of the Holy Spirit who inherit the kingdom.

1 Peter 1:1-4

CLV ¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen expatriates of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia, ² according to the foreknowledge of God, the Father, in holiness of spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you!” ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His vast mercy, regenerates us into a living expectation, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead, ⁴ for the enjoyment of an allotment incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, kept in the heavens for you,

Jesus died so His followers could be with Him by way of His Holy Spirit resurrection. If Jesus came to enact a physical resurrection for the Jews, He would have let them make Him King ,then He would rule as King David over the 12 tribes in the land. The Jews were experiencing a very partial resurrection back into the land. Understandably they wanted a full resurrection of all 12 tribes back into their original land allotments. Then they could see the flesh and blood body coming to life and inheriting the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit was the one requirement to see the kingdom. Flesh rebirth was not required. The Holy Spirit gave life to Jesus’ mortal body. His Old Covenant body of flesh did not become immortal in His New Covenant. Flesh bodies don’t live in heaven. The angels in heaven have spirit realm bodies that are far superior to earth realm bodies. They can of course be destroyed by God but they don’t naturally perish with age like earthy bodies do.

John 12:23-24

YLT ²³ And Jesus responded to them, saying, `The hour hath come that the Son of Man may be glorified; ²⁴ verily, verily, I say to you, if the grain of the wheat, having fallen to the earth, may not die, itself remaineth alone; and if it may die, it doth bear much fruit;

The resurrection of Christ was already bringing forth much fruit when Paul wrote to the Corinthians. The order of the resurrection is firstfruit first. Who were the firstfruit? Since Jesus was raised on the Jewish holy day of First Fruit that might be a clue. Jesus was killed on Nisan 14th and buried before the 15th. The 15th was His first day in the grave. The second day was the 16th. The third day was the 17th. The 17th of Nisan was the day Noah’s ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. That was before God told Mosses to make Nisan the first month of the year. Noah calls Nisan the seventh month.

Genesis 8:4

YLT ⁴ And the ark resteth, in the seventh month, in the seventeenth day of the month, on mountains of Ararat;

Jesus’ resurrection on the 17th was the first day of the New Covenant creation. The first people to Join Jesus in the New Covenant were of course the Jews. The New Covenant did not exist before Jesus was resurrected as the new first born. The same Holy Spirit that resurrected Jesus on the First Fruit of barley harvest came down on the nation on the first day of wheat harvest. The Holy Spirit gave New Covenant life to the 12 tribes gathered to celebrate the flesh and blood birth of the nation. Verse 23 gives the order of the resurrection: the first fruit is first.

1 Corinthians 15:22-24

YLT ²² for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive, ²³ and each in his proper order, a first-fruit Christ, afterwards those who are the Christ’s, in his presence, ²⁴ then—the end, when he may deliver up the reign to God, even the Father, when he may have made useless all rule, and all authority and power—

The Jews were astonished when the Gentiles were added to the resurrected body of Christ. The Gentiles were being added the same way the Jews were being added. The presence of the Holy Spirit coming down on people added whomever He chose. Who can argue with the Holy Spirit? The first fruit body of Christ was growing in number as the Holy Spirit chose.

Acts 10:44-48

YLT ⁴⁴ While Peter is yet speaking these sayings, the Holy spirit fell upon all those hearing the word, ⁴⁵ and those of the circumcision believing were astonished—as many as came with Peter—because also upon the nations [Gentiles] the gift of the Holy Spirit hath been poured out, ⁴⁶ for they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. ⁴⁷ Then answered Peter, `The water is any one able to forbid, that these may not be baptized, who the Holy Spirit did receive—even as also we?’ ⁴⁸ he commanded them also to be baptized in the name of the Lord; then they besought him to remain certain days.

Paul states that there will be an order observed in their resurrection. It is only here said that the first-fruits rise first. Only the Corinthians are told that first means first. Afterwards all who are Christ’s rise in His presence. Christ’s resurrection must in fact go before the resurrection of any of His people, otherwise He died for nothing. The offering of the first-fruit singular is was what made the whole harvest holy. So Christ’s resurrection must precede that of his saints. It is because he has risen that they can be risen. The One causing the rising again is the Holy Spirit Jesus sent to His chosen people in Jerusalem. Jesus died so He could send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gave life to mortal bodies. Obviously the life the Holy Spirit gives to God’s people is not immortal flesh.

Romans 8:11

JuliaSmith ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him having raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he having raised up Christ from the dead will make alive also your mortal bodies by his Spirit dwelling in you.

What dead and dying bodies was the Holy Spirit giving life to? The first dead and dying body the Holy Spirit gave life to was to the nation of Israel on Pentecost. Jews from every nation had gathered to celebrate their natural birth when they were born from above. Their flesh and blood nation was still dying after being born again. It was their New Covenant creation that would never die.

John 18:36

KJV ³⁶ Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Jesus answered the Pharisees. The kingdom of God is not coming in the physical way the Pharisees were expecting. The kingdom would not come with a military leader who reclaims the promised land from the Romans. The kingdom would come silently and unseen, like yeast works through a batch of bread dough. Jesus says, the kingdom had already begun and God was ruling in the hearts of His chosen people. The King was among them and the Pharisees were oblivious to His kingdom. Nicodemus famously represented the immature Jewish mindset when he asked how he could be born again from his flesh and blood mother. Jesus so blatantly told Nicodemus that he must be born from above to see the kingdom.

John 3:4-7

YLT ⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, `How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?’ <sup>5</sup> Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God; ⁶ that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ `Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above;

Romans chapter 8 is much about getting your mind off the flesh and on the Spirit. Romans 8 is the flesh and blood mind of the Old Covenant verses the mind of Christ of the New Covenant.

Romans 8:1-19

CLV ¹ Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. Not according to flesh are they walking, but according to spirit, ² for the spirit’s law of [New Covenant] life in Christ Jesus frees you from the law of [Old Covenant] sin and death. ³ For what was impossible to the law, in which it was infirm through the flesh, did God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sin’s flesh and concerning sin, He condemns sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the just requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who are not walking in accord with flesh, but in accord with spirit.” ⁵ For those who are in accord with flesh are disposed to that which is of the flesh, yet those who are in accord with spirit to that which is of the spirit.” ⁶ For the disposition of the flesh is death, yet the disposition of the spirit is life and peace, [The Holy Spirit gave this new disposition of life to mortal bodies that still die] ⁷ because the disposition of the flesh is enmity to God, for it is not subject to the law of God, for neither is it able.” ⁸ Now those who are in flesh are not able to please God. ⁹ Yet you are not in flesh, but in spirit, if so be that God’s spirit is making its home in you. Now if anyone has not Christ’s spirit, this one is not His.” ¹⁰ Now if Christ is in you, the body, indeed, is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is life because of righteousness.” ¹¹ Now if the spirit of Him Who rouses Jesus from among the dead is making its home in you, He Who rouses Christ Jesus from among the dead will also be vivifying your mortal bodies because of His spirit making its home in you.” [What kind of life was the Holy Spirit giving to these mortal bodies of flesh and blood if not the New Covenant life that never dies?] ¹² Consequently, then, brethren, debtors are we, not to the flesh, to be living in accord with flesh, ¹³ for if you are living in accord with flesh, you are about to be dying. [This can’t be talking about mortal verses immortal flesh and blood bodies. It is the New Covenant body that lived and the Old Covenant body that died.] Yet if, in spirit, you are putting the practices of the body to death, you will be living.” ¹⁴ For whoever are being led by God’s spirit, these are sons of God.” ¹⁵ For you did not get slavery’s spirit to fear again, but you got the spirit of sonship, in which we are crying, “Abba, Father!” ¹⁶ The spirit itself is testifying together with our spirit that we are children of God. ¹⁷ Yet if children, enjoyers also of an allotment, enjoyers, indeed, of an allotment from God, yet joint enjoyers of Christ’s allotment, [Jesus went to prepare a place in heaven so we could be where He is] if so be that we are suffering together, that we should be glorified together also.” ¹⁸ For I am reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory about to be revealed for us. ¹⁹ For the premonition of the creation is awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God [Paul just said the sons of God were the born again ones not the ones in the flesh].

You shouldn’t argue with the Holy Spirit. You should argue with the demands of your flesh. Forever in the flesh is very much contrary to Romans 8. Trying to keep the flesh and blood covenant ended in destruction. The Jews still in the flesh wanted nothing more than to eliminate the Jews in the Spirit so they could keep their flesh and blood body forever.

Luke 17:20-21

KJV ²⁰ And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: ²¹ Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Matthew 13:33

YLT ³³ Another simile spake he to them: `The reign of the heavens is like to leaven, which a woman having taken, hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.’

Luke 11:49-51

YLT ⁴⁹ because of this also the wisdom of God said: I will send to them prophets, and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute, ⁵⁰ that the blood of all the prophets, that is being poured forth from the foundation of the world, may be required from this generation; ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, who perished between the altar and the house; yes, I say to you, It shall be required from this generation.

Why was that generation held responsible if they weren’t responsible?

Jesus told the religious Jews of His day that their generation would be held responsible for all the prophets that God had sent to them since creation. Not only since the creation of the nation but all the way back to the creation of humanity. Why would God hold this generation responsible for even the murder of Able at the hand of Cain? Because they were doing worse. They rejected God’s only begotten Son and His sacrifice for them. Nothing worse can be done.

God again delayed His judgment against the Jews for decades, so that the promised Seed, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, might be sacrificed through them and for them. They became the witnesses to the whole world. That generation rejected and murdered the Messiah to whom all the martyred prophets had testified. There is no greater prophet to come. That was the worst generation ever. It was also the best. The faithful Jews took the gospel to all creation. Meanwhile thjose who continued to reject the good news accumulated God’s wrath. Indeed, that generation saw the fall of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, so that those that remained were either destroyed or they joined the diaspora among the nations.

Why were the Jews in heaven getting impatient?

The martyrs are making a legal complaint to God for justice, asking him to punish those in the land still under the law, for illegally putting them to death. These souls were not under the alter in Old Covenant Jerusalem. They were martyrs who had gone to heaven. We see heaven open for the first Jewish martyr as he was telling the truth that got him killed by the Jews in the land.

Revelation 6:9

YLT ⁹ And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony that they held,

Acts 7:54-8:2

YLT ⁵⁴ And hearing these things, they [Jews] were cut to the hearts, and did gnash the teeth at him; ⁵⁵ and being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked stedfastly to the heaven, he [a believing Jew named Stephen] saw the glory of God, and Jesus [The Old Covenant born Jew who was the first to move to the New] standing on the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and he said, `Lo, I see the heavens having been opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.’ <sup>57</sup> And they [unbelieving Jews], having cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and did rush with one accord upon him, <sup>58</sup> and having cast him forth outside of the city, they were stoning him —and the [false Jewish witnesses] witnesses did put down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul— <sup>59</sup> and they were stoning Stephen [a true Jewish witness], calling and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;’ ⁶⁰ and having bowed the knees, he cried with a loud voice, `Lord, mayest thou not lay to them [false Jews] this sin;’ and this having said, he fell asleep. ^8 1 And Saul was assenting to his death [Benjamite Saul had not yet met Jesus], and there came in that day a great persecution upon the assembly in Jerusalem, all also [all the other true Jews] were scattered abroad in the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles; ² and devout men [These devout Jews did not bear false witness against Stephen. They didn’t lie to protect their Old Covenant turf. They knew Stephen was right.] carried away Stephen, and made great lamentation over him;

Genesis 3:16

YLT ¹⁶ Unto the woman He said, `Multiplying I multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow dost thou bear children, and toward thy husband is thy desire, and he doth rule over thee.’

Revelation 20:4-5

YLT ⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand, and they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years; ⁵ and the rest of the dead did not live again till the thousand years may be finished; this is the first rising again.

The only way to reign in the age was in the new covenant with Christ. The millennial Jubilee was at hand and the 12 tribes were not returning to live in the land. The flesh and blood resurrection was failing big time. AD 70 was the second death of the Jews in the land. At least the first 40 year regeneration included all 12 tribes. The new covenant body of Christ was united by the Holy Spirit He sent to the 12 tribes who had partially gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost. Open our eyes that we may see the first century army of the Lord. The 144,000 Jews were the original salvation army, sent out to rule the nations with true humanity.

Revelation 7:4-14

YLT ⁴ And I heard the number of those sealed, (one hundred and forty four thousands were sealed out of all the tribes of the sons of Israel): ⁵ of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; ⁶ of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; ⁷ of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; ⁸ of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed. ⁹ After these things I saw, and lo, a great multitude, which to number no one was able, out of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes, and palms in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying with a great voice, saying, `The salvation is to Him who is sitting upon the throne—to our God, and to the Lamb!’ <sup>11</sup> And all the messengers stood around the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell upon their face, and bowed before God, <sup>12</sup> saying, `Amen! the blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom, and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the strength, are to our God—to the ages of the ages! Amen!’ ¹³ And answer did one of the elders, saying to me, `These, who have been arrayed with the white robes—who are they, and whence came they?’ <sup>14</sup> and I have said to him, `Sir, thou hast known;’ and he said to me, `These are those who are coming out of the great tribulation, and they did wash their robes, and they made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb;

Notice all 12 tribes are saved by Jesus, not just the tribe of Judah. Judah in the land was only a partial resurrection of the body of Israel. Under the law of Jubilees all 12 tribes return to their original allotments. Since no body can be saved under the law all 12 tribes were spiritually born again on Pentecost.

John 3:1-7

YLT ¹ And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus his name, a ruler of the Jews, ² this one came unto him by night, and said to him, `Rabbi, we have known that from God thou hast come—a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him.’ <sup>3</sup> Jesus answered and said to him, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;’ ⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, `How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?’ <sup>5</sup> Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God; ⁶ that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ `Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above;

Nicodemus could not be born from above until Jesus is put to death and resurrected. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection is the good news for this ruler of the Jews. Jesus was distressed until He accomplished the good news of he Jews.

Luke 12:50

LITV ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to be immersed in, and how am I pressed until it is done!

In case you are wondering what was bothering Jesus he spells it out in another text. Whatever this second baptism of Jesus is it leads Him to ascend to the right hand of the Father. We often repeat these death, burial and resurrection words when we baptize someone. Jesus first baptism landed Him with power in the old covenant. Jesus second baptism was for the flesh and blood Jews, not for Himself. It was everyone else who needed a new covenant to live to the age in.

Matthew 20:17-22

YLT ¹⁷ And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples by themselves in the way, and said to them, ¹⁸ `Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, <sup>19</sup> and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the nations to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify, and the third day he will rise again.’ <sup>20</sup> Then came near to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing and asking something from him, <sup>21</sup> and he said to her, `What wilt thou?’ She saith to him, `Say, that they may sit—these my two sons—one on thy right hand, and one on the left, in thy reign.’ <sup>22</sup> And Jesus answering said, `Ye have not known what ye ask for yourselves; are ye able to drink of the cup that I am about to drink? and with the baptism that I am baptized with, to be baptized?’ They say to him, `We are able.’

Only one Jew could be baptized to save the Jews. Only one Jew would have lived to the age if Jesus didn’t die on the cross. The mother of the sons of Zebedee thought her sons could be baptized for the dead and dying Jews. Even the (notably immature) Corinthians thought they could be baptized for the dead.

Jesus’ “baptism” for the dead is his old covenant death that granted the Holy Spirit life to the spiritually dead ones, which is every Jew accept Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:29

CLV ²⁹ Else what shall those be doing who are baptizing? It is for the sake of the dead absolutely if the dead are not being roused. Why are they baptizing also for their sake?

All baptisms are for the spiritually dead who come to life in Christ. The Corinthians may have twisted the meaning of baptism. They may have been baptizing physically living people for those who had already died.

The word “baptism” comes from the Greek word which usually means submersion or immersion. In this context, it is used for Jesus’ impending death and suffering. It suggests a process or experience that Jesus had yet to face. The expression “how pressed I am” shows the emotional and spiritual turmoil Jesus was experiencing as he anticipated his suffering. 

Jesus rose on the 17th of Nisan: the same day the ark came to rest after the Noah’s flood, which is also called a baptism. Peter calls Jesus’ baptism the antitype that now saves you. You is plural for the ones Peter wrote to. Peter wrote to the chosen people of God in the diaspora. Jesus was baptized for the spiritually dead Jews in diaspora. That baptism that now saves us.

1 Peter 3:18-22

YLT ¹⁸ because also Christ once for sin did suffer—righteous for unrighteous—that he might lead us to God, having been put to death indeed, in the flesh, and having been made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which also to the spirits in prison having gone he did preach, ²⁰ who sometime disbelieved, when once the long-suffering of God did wait, in days of Noah—an ark being preparing—in which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water; ²¹ also to which an antitype doth now save us—baptism, (not a putting away of the filth of flesh, but the question of a good conscience in regard to God,) through the rising again of Jesus Christ, ²² who is at the right hand of God, having gone on to heaven—messengers, and authorities, and powers, having been subjected to him.

1 Peter 1:1-2

YLT ¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the choice sojourners of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² according to a foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied!

There were those jews who were trying to sanctify themselves without the Hoy Spirit. But they were acting like natural animals rather than Holy Spirit enabled humans. Life to the age was only by Holy Spirit birth. Jesus made that very clear to the Jews. The Jews knew that the millennial Jubilee was at hand. Jude was of course a Jew. As the brother of James(Jacob) Jude calls on the brethren to resist the false teachers not God. According to Peter any delay was due to the patience of God, not broken promises.

Jude 1:18-22

YLT ¹⁸ that they said to you, that in the last time there shall be scoffers, after their own desires of impieties going on, ¹⁹ these are those setting themselves apart, natural men, the Spirit not having. ²⁰ And ye, beloved, on your most holy faith building yourselves up, in the Holy Spirit praying, ²¹ yourselves in the love of God keep ye, waiting for the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ—to life age-during; ²² and to some be kind, judging thoroughly,