The Law and Grace have always been simultaneously inacted

[Truther]

I don't see how that follows.


The same Hebrew word for the cherubim being told to "guard" the way to the Tree of Life in Genesis 3:24 is also used for what Adam was told to do to the Garden in Genesis 2:15, and he was never told to stop guarding the Tree of Life. A guard can either block entry or provide escort. Cherubim were also placed over the Ark of the Covenant to guard the commandments of the Torah, and the Torah repeatedly uses the same Hebrew word to instruct the Israelites to guard its commandments, which also is why Jesus said that the way to enter eternal life is by obeying God's commandments (Matthew 19:17, Luke 10:25-28), and why those who obeyed God's commandments are given the right to eat from the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:14).

Likewise, Genesis 3:24 also uses a Hebrew word for guarding "the way" to the Tree of Life, and the Bible frequently connects these concepts also in connection with the way to or from Jerusalem, which is where the Tree of Life is, such as in Exodus 23:20, God will send an angel to guard you on the way and bring you to the place that He has prepared or with Jesus saying narrow is the way that leads to life (Matthew 7:14), or that he is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). In Luke 10:25-28, Jesus was asked about the way to inherit eternal life and responded with a parable about a man who was on the way from Jerusalem, so that is not an incidental detail. Likewise, Paul was on the way from Jerusalem to persecute members of "The Way", where he was stopped by Jesus, who is the way, so calling it a Damascus road experience is missing the point. Furthermore, the Torah is repeatedly referred as being God's way, such as in Deuteronomy 10:12-13, Isaiah 2:2-3, 1 Kings 2:1-3, Joshua 22:5, Psalms 103:7, Psalms 119:1-3, and many others.

Essentially, the Bible stars with the Tree of Life, it ends with the Tree of Life, and everything in between is about teaching us the way back to the Tree of Life. In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him His way that he might know Him and Israel too and knowing God and Jesus is eternal life (John 17:3).

Are you attempting to "spiritualize" this?...

22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

 

[Soyeong]

Are you attempting to "spiritualize" this?...

22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

While there is a literal meaning, there is also a deeper meaning, and the words appear way too often in conjunction with each other to be a coincidence, and I could list more examples if you wanted. When Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and the way to know the Father, he was not making things up, but rather that had meaning that a Jewish audience who knew the Hebrew Scriptures were aware of and understood. The Torah is God's way (Psalms 119:1-3), the truth (Psalms 119:142), and the life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47), and the way to know the Father (Exodus 33:13), the Torah is God's word (Deuteronomy 5:31-33), and Jesus is God's word made flesh (John 1:14).

The law of first mention is a principle where the first time that a Hebrew word is used by the Bible provides the context for how it should be understood, and the first time that "the way" is used is in Genesis 3:24 in regard to an angel guarding the way to the Tree of Life. Again, in Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Moses present the same choice between the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, life and a blessing for choosing to obey the Torah or death and a curse for choosing not to obey it, so choose life!

 

[Truther]

While there is a literal meaning, there is also a deeper meaning, and the words appear way too often in conjunction with each other to be a coincidence, and I could list more examples if you wanted. When Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and the way to know the Father, he was not making things up, but rather that had meaning that a Jewish audience who knew the Hebrew Scriptures were aware of and understood. The Torah is God's way (Psalms 119:1-3), the truth (Psalms 119:142), and the life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47), and the way to know the Father (Exodus 33:13), the Torah is God's word (Deuteronomy 5:31-33), and Jesus is God's word made flesh (John 1:14).

The law of first mention is a principle where the first time that a Hebrew word is used by the Bible provides the context for how it should be understood, and the first time that "the way" is used is in Genesis 3:24 in regard to an angel guarding the way to the Tree of Life. Again, in Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Moses present the same choice between the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, life and a blessing for choosing to obey the Torah or death and a curse for choosing not to obey it, so choose life!

No, there is only the literal meaning.

Searching for "deeper and deeper...." meanings result in false teachings...like preterism etc.

 

[Soyeong]

No, there is only the literal meaning.

Searching for "deeper and deeper...." meanings result in false teachings...like preterism etc.

There are many prophesies that were relevant to the times in which they were spoken that also have Messianic meanings. The Bible is full of these sorts of allusions.

 

[Truther]

There are many prophesies that were relevant to the times in which they were spoken that also have Messianic meanings. The Bible is full of these sorts of allusions.

And that is not correct. Each prophecy was specific and has come to pass, or will come to pass. People are trying to find “dual meanings” with God’s word. That is a disastrous reading of the Bible. I hope that nobody ever tries to find dual with our words to our kids. We would be furious.