December 2000

[Part Forty-four]

“SEALS OF GOD”

[-C-]

               When the seal is broken on a vat of vintage wine, it is customarily a ceremonious occasion witnessed by many connoisseurs. This precious liquid which has laid buried in its wooden *cask for many years, first began as a sweet, benign fruit juice;but as it “slept” in darkness, fermentation took place. The word, ferment, (Dict.) as a noun lit. means “YEAST”! But then it is also defined: “A state of unrest, where a transformation is taking place through a process of effervescence.” As a verb, ferment means: “To undergo a chemical change through intense activity; and to endure a state of agitation; also to foment (Dict. lit. “To warm, heat up, incite, and nurse to life.”) and finally, to be totally LIGHT-DEPRIVED!”

*The root for Cask (Dict.) means: “Helmet, potsherd, to break, and SKULL!”

                The first meaning of cask is helmet which immediately calls to mind the piece of spiritual armor in Eph 6:17, called the “Helmet of Salvation” which is the Mind of Christ or New Wineskin filled with New Wine! This Mind of Eternal Life chose to indwell the dark realm of death by entering into the form of humanity- as typified in Scripture by wood!
                 The second and third meanings of cask are potsherd and break! This speaks of two things: the texts concerning the Potter (God) and the Clay (men of flesh). “Our Father is the Potter and we are His clay, the work of His Hand” (Is 64:8) so what does it mean when it says, “Woe to those who seek to hide deep their counsel and their works done in darkness from the Lord, saying, ‘Who sees us? Who knows us?’ Oh, such perversity!! Shall your turning of things upside down (by breaking of His Law) be esteemed as Potter’s clay? Shall the handiwork of God say of Him that made it, ‘He did not make me’? Or shall that which is formed say of the One that formed him, ‘He has no understanding (He is not aware of my secret thoughts and actions)?!” (Is. 29:15,16) Then ) we read, “Woe to him that strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive only with other potsherds. Shall the clay say to Him that fashioned him, ‘What do you think you are making me?’ Shall the workmanship say to its Maker, “You have no skill; there are no handles on me!”(Is 45:9) (Remember Jesus said, “The Prince of this world comes and finds no place (i.e., no handles) in Me (with which to pull Me into this world!” Jn 14:30) Job also used a potsherd to scrape discharge from his boils. (Jb 2:8)
                The third meaning of cask is SKULL- the definition of Golgotha, and its Hebrew equivalent Calvary which is the site of Christ’s crucifixion. This name of the place where this landmark event took place is very significant. Picture the hill, whereon the Cross stood, as a giant SKULL (that is, a DEAD HEAD), then try to see the visible Cross of Christ as the TOP OF A SWORD plunged into that skull- with the horizontal crossbeam representing the hilt- or handle- of the sword! Then it would come clear that this WORD OF GOD (which is the “SWORD OF THE SPIRIT” Eph 6:17) finished His Holy Mission to SLAY THE CARNAL MIND which is the “dead head” of mankind!!
                This is the symbolism and glory of the Cross on Golgotha! God could have had Christ sacrificed in any number of ways, in any number of places, but He had to place Him on that Cross on that hill to demonstrate to past, present and future ages what was accomplished there! An empty skull pierced by the Sword of God’s Word is no more the head of our body! Now our Head is an UNSEALED CASK OF NEW WINE!! And we are drinking to our fill! It is invigorating and exhilarating and so enrapturing!! Even one sip begins to elevate the human heart to new heights in glory! DRINK UP!!

[TO BE CONTINUED]