Our Common Realm of Existence
In the New Creation
By Jonathan Mitchell
Light is the common realm of existence in the New Creation. We affirm this based upon what is written in 1 Jn. 1:7,
"Yet if we keep on walking about (= continue living and ordering our life) within the midst of, and in union with (or: in the sphere of), the Light, as He exists (or: is) within this Light, we [note: i.e., God and us] constantly have common being and existence (or: hold common fellowship, participation and enjoy partnership) reciprocally with one another, and the blood of, from, and which is, Jesus, His Son, keeps continually or repeatedly cleansing us (or: is progressively rendering us pure) from every sin (or: from all error, failure, deviation, mistake, and from every shot that is off target [when it occurs])." [cf Rev. 1:5]
Paul used the first creation (Gen. 1:3) as an allusion to explain the action of God when He created the New Creation. We find this in 2 Cor. 4:6,
"the God suddenly saying (or: the God Who once was saying), "Light will progressively shine forth (give light as from a torch; gleam) from out of the midst of darkness (dimness and shadiness; gloom and the absence of daylight; [cf Gen. 1:1-2])," [is] the One who shines forth within the midst of our hearts, with a view to illumination of the intimate and experiential Knowledge of God's Glory - in a face of Christ, from an Anointing (or: [is] He Who gives light in union with our hearts, [while] facing toward an effulgence and a shining forth which is an intimate knowing and insight of this praise-inducing manifestation and assumed appearance, whose source and origin is God, and which is God, [while] in union with a face-to-face presence of Christ [other MSS: Jesus Christ])."
Now it follows that The New Creation (2 Cor. 5:17) is,
"within the midst of our hearts."
The Chief Priest (in the sphere of the Priesthood of Melchizedek) used His own blood (Heb. 9:12, a figure of His Life - Lev. 17:11) to cleanse our hearts, as we read in Heb. 10:
19. Therefore, having freedom, openness, and boldness of speech, which come from being citizens, brothers (folks from the same Womb; = fellow members), with a view to the Entrance of the set-apart places(or: into the Pathway-into-the-midst of, and pertaining to, the Holy Places, which represent the separated ones, and which are composed of, the sacred folks) within, and in union with, the blood of Jesus,
20. a Way (Path; Road) - a fresh, recently slain, One, and yet continuously living - which He initiated (or: which He innovated and inaugurated - made new in species, character or mode, within and in the midst) for us, and in us, through the veil which is His flesh (or: which pathway through the veil He did anew for us - that is, [through] His flesh [= His body]: recently slaughtered, and now living), [cf Jn. 14:6; Rev. 5:6]
21. along with a Great Priest [enthroned; established] upon God's House (or: this house from God) -
22. we can be continuously and progressively approaching with a true heart in union with full-assurance from the completed act of Faithfulness (or: centered within [the] full-carrying from [His] loyalty and fidelity), the hearts having been sprinkled from a misery-gushed consciousness of what is evil or unserviceable (or: a joint-knowledge full of annoying labor; a conscience in a bad condition; [cf 1 Pet. 1:2]), and then being folks with this body having been bathed, and continuing in a washed condition, in, by, and with, clean water.
In this passage, vs. 19 speaks of a realm into which we enter: "the set-apart places," which refer to the holy place, and the Holy of Holies, of the tabernacle, and then the Temple (cf Heb. 9:1-7), and Heb. 9:9 instructs us concerning those places:
"which [are] a parable, [pointing] unto the present season (or: the fertile moment and situation having been placed within the midst and which is now here)."
Now observe the last part of vs. 19, above, which informs us that the Entrance into the realm of these places is,
"within, and in union with, the blood of Jesus."
This, now, corresponds to 1 Jn. 1:7, above, and then Heb. 10:22, above, likewise ties these concepts together, for it speaks of:
"a true heart in union with full-assurance from the completed act of Faithfulness (or: centered within [the] full-carrying from [His] loyalty and fidelity), the hearts having been sprinkled from a misery-gushed consciousness of what is evil or unserviceable (or: a joint-knowledge full of annoying labor; a conscience in a bad condition)."
This verse ends by speaking of "having been bathed, and continuing in a washed condition, in, by, and with, clean water," again pointing us to the "cleansing" mentioned in the same verse of 1 Jn.
We find the same metaphor that has been used in the texts of both Heb. and 1 Jn., above, when we turn to Peter's words:
"an obedient hearing (or: [focused] with a view unto being centered in a listening and paying attention with compliance; [cf Acts 6:7b]) and a sprinkling with Jesus Christ's blood (or: a sprinkling of blood, from, and which is, Jesus Christ)" (1 Pet. 1:2).
Based upon the OT type of the Day of Atonement, alluded to in Heb. 9 and 10, we discern that the realm where the blood is now applied is our hearts, which, in turn, corresponds to the Holy of Holies of the OT type. That place - the very heart of the Temple - is the realm of His Presence. In the type, the blood was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat (a figure of God's throne). The reality (to which the OT type pointed) is the realm of our hearts. His Presence dwells within our hearts. And this thought brings us back to 1 Jn. 1:7 and our "common being and existence."
When Moses went into the Holy of Holies to speak with Yahweh, he entered into the realm of God, being manifested as Light. When he came out of that place, his face shown with a reflection of the Light of that place (cf 2 Cor. 3:7, 13). And so it is, now, that we are able to,
"keep on walking about (= continue living and ordering our life) within the midst of, and in union with (or: in the sphere of), the Light, as He exists (or: is) within this Light" (1 Jn. 1:7).We are even seated with Him, upon the Mercy Seat, within this inner "heavenly realm" (Eph. 2:6).
The realm of "our common being and existence" is pictured as Mount Zion, in Heb. 12:22-24, and is called "Jerusalem upon the heavens," in that text, but Paul simply refers to it as
"the Jerusalem which is above," in Gal. 4:26.
For the phrase, "common being and existence," see the article, "The Prologue of 1 John". In our present text, the phrase that follows this expression informs us that this common being and existence (koin-on-ia) is "reciprocally with one another." Now this latter phrase can refer to the "we" that begins the first clause of vs. 7 - meaning the "we" of Christ's body, the called-out - or, it can refer to the common existence of "us" and Him, as we live our lives in Him Who is the Light, as 1 Jn. 1:5 tells us ("God is Light"). It follows that we are to:
"keep on walking about (= continue living and ordering our life) within the midst of, and in union with (or: in the sphere of), [God]."
You see, God is our common realm of existence (cf Acts 17:28). In 1 Cor. 6:17, Paul offers us another picture of this realm of our new being:
"Now the person continually joining himself (or: being habitually glued in intimate union; in himself being continuously welded) to (or: in; with) the Lord exists being one spirit (or: one Breath-effect; one Attitude; one Spirit)."
In the Unveiling, John saw the bride of the Lamb symbolically portrayed as the New Jerusalem, and he said this, about her:
"Now the City continually has no need of the sun nor of the moon, to the end that they may (should) continually shine for, in, or on, her, for the Glory of God (or: the Glory which is God; the imagination from God) illuminates (enlightens; gives light to) her, and her lamp [is] the little Lamb" (Rev. 21:23).
You see, as we live our lives in this Jerusalem which is above (Gal. 4:26),
"we keep on walking about (= continue living and ordering our life) within the midst of, and in union with, the Light, as He exists (or: is) within this Light."
These pictures and metaphors all instruct us about being "in Christ." What we are taught 1 Jn. 1:7 is expanded by Paul, Eph. 2:13,
"But now, within, in union with, and centered in, Christ Jesus, you - the folks once being (continuously existing) far off (or: at a distance) - came to be (were birthed; are generated; are suddenly become) near, immersed within, and in union with, the blood of the Christ (or: from the Anointed One [= the Messiah])." [cf Gal. 3:28]
This topic can be extended by drawing in many other verses which shed light on 1 Jn. 1:7, but we will close by returning to the concept presented in Lev. 17:11, that the life, or soul, is in the blood. You see, since we are members of Christ's body, His life (symbolized as blood) flows through the veins of this body, both bringing nourishment to each cell, and carrying away what no longer nourishes us, or that which was polluting us, leaving us clean, pure, and alive in Him. Christ is the Head of His body, and He is the common Realm of our existence in His New Creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Another way of putting this understanding is that for we branches, the Vine is the Common Realm of our very being and existence, and thus do we "participate" in Him, and have mutual "fellowship" with Him, and even "partner" with Him, and with other members of His Vine-body (Jn. 15:5).
Jonathan
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