BibleWheel
January 14th 2004, 01:09 PM
I introduced my discovery of the Bible Wheel in a thread called Sevenfold Symmetric Perfection of God's Word. Here is the link:
http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17165
I would now like to show how the Wheel is part of the vision of the Whole Bible given in Zechariah. Here is the vision given in Zechariah 4:
And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
The symbols and types in the Bible typically have many applications. The Two Olive Trees are no different. We know that God used Two Olive Trees in Romans 11 as symbols of the Jewish and Christian Believers. This naturally corresponds to the Old and New Testaments, and the ideas of Law and Grace. The symbols coherently overlap.
There are many reasons to believe the Two Olive Trees are the Two Testaments, and many believers have understood them as such, going back to the Venerable Bede who wrote around the year 710 AD. This doesn't mean that they could not also represent two literal people that bear witness to God.
There are many reasons to think the Scriptures are in view in this prophecy. Jesus says the Scriptures testify of Him (John 5.39) - and that is the meaning of Testament. In Zecahriah's vision, the Two Olive Trees feed the Menorah, which represents God's Word, both figuratively and literally, as shown below. When Zechariah asked the angel to explain the vision, he was told "THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD to Zerubbabel" which certainly could mean that the vision itself was a vision of God's Word. The objection that the Bible could not "die" is answered in silencing of the Biblical witness when it was not available in the common language of the people.
Attached is an image of my interpretation of the Vision given to Zechariah. I believe the Bowl (Hb. Gulah) above the Menorah corresponds to the representation of the whole Bible in the form of the Wheel (Hb. Galgal). The Two Olive Trees (Testaments) pour their Oil (Inspired Books) into the Golden Bowl (Wheel) which reveals the sevenfold symmetric perfection of the Christian Canon. The Books in the seven divisions are then poured through Seven Golden Pipes into the Seven Lamps of the Menorah to enlighten the whole world with the Light of God's Word. The number of books on each pair of arms alphanumerically spells the word Tehilah, which means PRAISE. A full explanation is available on my site:
http://www.BibleWheel.com/Wheel/Capstone.asp
Note that ever detail of the prophecy is integrated with perfect grace.
Thoughts? Comments?
In service of Christ, the Everlasting Word,
Richard A. McGough
http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17165
I would now like to show how the Wheel is part of the vision of the Whole Bible given in Zechariah. Here is the vision given in Zechariah 4:
And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
The symbols and types in the Bible typically have many applications. The Two Olive Trees are no different. We know that God used Two Olive Trees in Romans 11 as symbols of the Jewish and Christian Believers. This naturally corresponds to the Old and New Testaments, and the ideas of Law and Grace. The symbols coherently overlap.
There are many reasons to believe the Two Olive Trees are the Two Testaments, and many believers have understood them as such, going back to the Venerable Bede who wrote around the year 710 AD. This doesn't mean that they could not also represent two literal people that bear witness to God.
There are many reasons to think the Scriptures are in view in this prophecy. Jesus says the Scriptures testify of Him (John 5.39) - and that is the meaning of Testament. In Zecahriah's vision, the Two Olive Trees feed the Menorah, which represents God's Word, both figuratively and literally, as shown below. When Zechariah asked the angel to explain the vision, he was told "THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD to Zerubbabel" which certainly could mean that the vision itself was a vision of God's Word. The objection that the Bible could not "die" is answered in silencing of the Biblical witness when it was not available in the common language of the people.
Attached is an image of my interpretation of the Vision given to Zechariah. I believe the Bowl (Hb. Gulah) above the Menorah corresponds to the representation of the whole Bible in the form of the Wheel (Hb. Galgal). The Two Olive Trees (Testaments) pour their Oil (Inspired Books) into the Golden Bowl (Wheel) which reveals the sevenfold symmetric perfection of the Christian Canon. The Books in the seven divisions are then poured through Seven Golden Pipes into the Seven Lamps of the Menorah to enlighten the whole world with the Light of God's Word. The number of books on each pair of arms alphanumerically spells the word Tehilah, which means PRAISE. A full explanation is available on my site:
http://www.BibleWheel.com/Wheel/Capstone.asp
Note that ever detail of the prophecy is integrated with perfect grace.
Thoughts? Comments?
In service of Christ, the Everlasting Word,
Richard A. McGough