We have seen that the Rib, taken from Adam, becomes the “flesh and bones” of the woman, and by figure, the Bride. Paul taught this in Ephesians. To be “in Christ”, to be “members of His body” becomes synonymous with the Rib bone taken from the Second Adam’s side. It is quite amazing just how much prophetic truth is locked up within the first three chapters of Genesis.
In a previous PT we saw how the Hebrew language, when using the word “one”, should never be understood of a singularity. “The Lord our God is One” says the Shammah, but the same word “one” is used of the marriage of Adam and Eve. They become “one flesh” though retaining their separate identities. Likewise the Godhead is “one” but is composed of THREE – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In the same fashion the Rib taken from Adam may at first sight seem to be a singularity, but hidden in the figure there is evidence that it is three-fold. God’s Elect, His Bride, comes in three companies, and yet these three are undoubtedly ONE.
The first evidence for this is found in Daniel’s visions, where a Bear is seen with “three ribs in its mouth”. The Chaldee word here for Rib is ALA, virtually the same as the Hebrew word in Genesis, TZELA. Why does this Bear have three ribs in its mouth? We are looking at a warfare scene based on the “enmity” mentioned in the last PT, the Devil’s Bear is attempting to devour God’s Bride, but the three ribs never get further than his mouth! They never enter his stomach. There comes a time when “the Kingdom will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.” Victory is assured, and God “binds up the wounds of His people”.
In the Parables of the New Testament the concept of these three companies, or three phases of God’s Elect Church comes across. In the Parable of the Sower, we find that the seed in the good ground brings forth 30, 60, and 100 fold. In the Parable of the Woman making bread, we find that she puts the yeast into “three measures of meal”.
But notice that the wheat harvest is just ONE harvest, even though it contains the “30, 60, and 100 fold”, and the three measures of meal produce just ONE baking. This evidence of “three in one” could well have been a reflection of the three-fold unity in the Godhead.
Did Paul understand this principle when he spoke about us building “gold, silver, and precious stones” on the foundation, those things which are never destroyed but only refined by fire? Was this the reason he spoke about “striving for masteries”, and “running the race to obtain a prize”? And his own striving for the “prize of the high calling”?
Was John referring to this when speaking about the three companies – “the manchild, the woman, and the rest of her seed”? Notice that the manchild and the rest of her seed all come from the woman. There is only ONE person referred to in the 12th chapter of Revelation , namely the Woman, the symbol of the Bride, but within that singularity there are three companies.
Perhaps there are other examples of this “hidden manna” in Scripture. If so, please write and tell me.
References. Deut.6:4, Isa.30:26, Dan.7:5,27, Matt.13:8, 13:33, 1 Cor.3:12, 9:24, Phil.3:14, 2 Tim.2:5, Rev.2:17, and chapter12.