It is believed that Jesus redeems us by taking the punishment for our sins, but this means of atonement is rejected by the Bible (Exodus 32:31-33, Ezekiel 18:20). It is also difficult to find a ‘transfer of responsibility for sin’ in any of the stories of the Bible. If God redeems us by vicarious atonement, this idea should be communicated in the stories and rituals of the Bible.
What is common in the Bible are stories and rituals that communicate separation associated with redemption. Redemption by separation has great Biblical support, and this has nothing to do with Gnosticism. Gnosticism was a heresy and Gnosticism was a distraction.
Examples of Separation in the Bible
- Genesis 1:4-18 God created the world by separating light from darkness, day from night, the waters under the firmament from the waters above the firmament.
- Exodus 12:12-13 Israel as a nation was born in bondage to Egypt, but in the Passover the Israelis were separated.
- Exodus 14:16-21 God separated water from water when Israel was delivered across the Red Sea.
- Joshua 3:16-17 God separated water from water when He brought the Israelis across Jordan.
- Matthew 13:24-30 In the parable of the enemy sowing tares, the wheat is to be separated from the tares.
- Numbers 19:9 The sacrifice of the heifer was referred to as a water of separation.
- Genesis 17:10-11 Circumcision is when ‘unclean’ flesh is removed.
- Matthew 26:41 The flesh is not evil as claimed by the Gnostics. According to Christ the flesh is weak. Our flesh is influenced by evil spirits, but our spirit is not.
We are spirit and flesh, one person. This is why the Messiah was necessary to justify the separation of spirit and flesh. Jesus was perfect, so His resurrection was justified. If Jesus discards His flesh, it is completely reasonable that we be given the same opportunity.
Sprinkling
Numerous passages in Exodus, Numbers and Leviticus describe blood, water or oil being sprinkled (separated) in rituals. These rituals provide purification. Individuals are often purified by sprinkling.
- Isaiah 52:15; Matthew 25:32 The Old Testament said the nations will be sprinkled; the New Testament said the nations will be separated.
- Matthew 25:32 The nations will be separated (sprinkled) into sheep and goats. The sheep will make it to Heaven, but the goats will not. If this simply means separating good people from bad people, the act of sprinkling does not make the good people good. If our flesh is separated from our spirit, it is this very act of sprinkling that makes us worthy to enter the kingdom of God. We are purified by sprinkling.
- Matthew 27:51 When Christ was crucified the veil (Christ) was torn into two pieces and the rocks (us) were also rent.
- Matthew 5:29-30 Christ said if thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out. If thy right hand offends thee, cut it off. In other words, if a person is part good and part evil, throw away the part that is evil and keep the part that is good. This shows how separation leads to perfection.
- Genesis 3:24 After Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden, a flaming sword is placed to guard the garden. To get back into the Garden of Eden (to get to eternal Heaven), we must get past a flaming sword. A sword cuts, and a flame destroys.
Alpha and Omega
- Revelation 3:12 In the end, the Lord has a new name which indicates a change as when Abram became Abraham, or Saul became Paul.
- Revelation 1:4-18 Revelation refers to God as Him which is, and which was, and which is to come. Revelation refers to Christ as Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last. Unlike the description of God, the description of Christ does not mention the middle. The middle is different. In the end He will be as He was at the beginning.
- Revelation 21:5-6 After saying, “It is done”, God the Father declares, “I am Alpha and Omega”. It is as if God the Father is saying, “I am Jesus”. Jesus has removed His flesh and returned to God the Father. Not to worry, this same passage says that He will be with us in the new heaven and the new earth.
- Luke 22:19 Christ said He would give up His body for us. He did not merely say that He would die, or that He would lay down His life. He said that He would give up His body for us.
- Luke 24:39-40 After His resurrection, Christ showed His apostles that He has not yet given up His body.
Burnt Offerings
In the King James translation, the phrase “burnt offering” appears 260 times. In a burnt offering the animal is killed, but this is followed by the animal’s flesh being destroyed. Jesus is the Lamb of God who is killed, but the second part of the sacrifice (destruction or discarding of the flesh) will occur on the Day of Judgment. This justifies the discarding of our flesh.
- Romans 8:1-10; Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 1 Corinthians 2:14 The apostle Paul talked about flesh verses spirit, natural verses spiritual, carnally minded verses spiritually minded. Paul never talked about Christian verses heathen. Good versus evil is not one group of people verses another; it is a struggle within us. The apostle Paul talked about the “inward man,” about those who “groan within ourselves.”
- 1 John 3:9; 1 John 5:4 The spirit of love within the child of God is perfect and has lived up to the Law. Our spirit has never committed a sin. The spirit of love within us is the true child of God, worthy of eternal life.
