I just finished reading Leviticus, realizing that blood is for Atonement and water for purification, I'm trying to tie it all together.
The Divine Blueprint: Blood, Water, Spirit, and Covenant
In biblical typology, the transition from slavery to a new life with God follows a consistent pattern. This "blueprint" was first established during the Exodus and was later perfected in the life, death, and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus). This pattern connects the Old Testament shadows to the New Testament fulfillment.
1. The Pattern in the Exodus (The Shadow)
Before Israel could enter the Covenant at Sinai, they passed through three distinct stages of deliverance:
* Blood (The Passover): The blood of the lamb was applied to the doorposts so the "destroyer" would pass over (
Exodus 12:13). This was the legal price of their redemption.
* Water (The Red Sea): Following the blood, they passed through the waters of the Red Sea. Paul identifies this as a "baptism" into Moses (
1 Corinthians 10:2).
* Spirit (The Pillar of Cloud): God led them by a Pillar of Cloud and Fire, representing His Presence and Spirit (
Exodus 13:21).
* Covenant (Mount Sinai): Having been redeemed by blood and purified by water, they were brought to Sinai to enter a formal Covenant with God (
Exodus 19-20).
2. The Pattern in the Crucifixion (The Fulfillment)
The Gospel of John emphasizes that Yeshua "finished" the work by replicating this pattern in His own body on the cross.
* Spirit (
John 19:30): Yeshua cries out, "It is finished!" and "gives up His spirit." This is the release of the life-giving Spirit that would later be poured out on the Church.
* Blood and Water (
John 19:34): A soldier pierces His side, and "immediately blood and water came out." The Blood represents the final Passover sacrifice, while the Water represents ritual purification and "living water."
3. The Witness on Earth (
1 John 5:7-8)
In his first epistle, John provides the theological seal on this pattern. He states that there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three "agree as one."
In biblical law, a matter is established by two or three witnesses (
Deuteronomy 19:15). In
1 John 5:6, he insists that Yeshua came "not only by water, but by water and blood," confirming that the purification (water) and the sacrifice (blood) are inseparable.
4. The Spirit and the Internal Covenant
The climax of this pattern is the internal transformation of the believer. While the Blood pays the debt and the Water cleanses the vessel, the Spirit enters to fulfill the promise of a "New Covenant" by writing God's instructions directly onto the heart.
* The Prophetic Promise:
Jeremiah 31:33 says, "I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts."
Ezekiel 36:25-27 mirrors the sequence exactly: "I will sprinkle clean water on you... I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes."
* The Divine Scribe: Paul confirms in
2 Corinthians 3:3 that believers are "epistles of Christ... written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."
In the first Exodus, the "Finger of God" wrote the Law on stone; in the New Exodus, the Spirit (the Finger of God) writes the Law of the Covenant into our very nature.
5. The Pattern in the Believer (The Application)
On the Day of Pentecost, Peter provides the practical application of this pattern in
Acts 2:38-39:
* Blood: Peter calls for "repentance in the name of Yeshua" for the remission of sins (applying the Blood).
* Water: He commands them to "be baptized," which is the water of purification and the "Red Sea" crossing for the believer.
* Spirit: He promises, "and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
* Covenant: He concludes that "the promise" (the Covenant) is for them and their children.
Summary of the Journey
This sequence mirrors the physical layout of the Tabernacle:
* The Altar of Sacrifice (Blood)
* The Laver of Washing (Water)
* The Holy Place (Spirit & Covenant)
By following this pattern, the believer "walks the map" from death to life, moving from the guilt of sin (Blood) to the washing of the soul (Water) and into the power of a new life where the Law is written on the heart by the Spirit.
Linear Mode
