The Hidden Meaning Of The Resurrection Of Lazarus...
Hosea's (Hosea 6:2) two days to revival and the resurrection on the third day, seem to be emphasized by Yashua in the 11 th chapter of St John. Written there is the account of the resurrection of Lazarus. The name Lazarus, as most know, is the Greek equivalent of the Heb. name Eleazar. Eleazar was the third-born son of Aaron, and we see in Num 3:32, that Father ordained Eleazar 'chief over the chiefs of the Levites'. In other words, the high priest of the Lord's business. Hence, this name Eleazar (Lazarus in Greek) has a special significance. It is equivalent to His people (Elect) today. We have been sick and very weak, even to the point of dying, but the latter rains are refreshing the spiritually dry bones. We are waking up.
In what follows, I have paraphrased the verses using the meanings I saw from the Strong's concordance. You should, of course check it own your own.
Follow thru the story. Jn 11:1 says "A certain (particular person) was weak and impotent. The name of the person was Eleazar, the priesthood, and the priesthood lived in a dry house, (Bethany), the same town as Mary and Martha." Translate bethany as 'house of dates" if you want, but a date is kinda like a dried up fig.
11:2 parenthetically adds, "The same Mary which (would) annoint Yashua". (Jn 12:4). Picture Mary and Martha as faithful servants to Yashua's Priesthood. They are. Their "brother" ( ¿ physical or spiritual ? ) (the preacher) couldn't cut it. He was "sick" and growing weaker by the moment. The Priesthood was dying. His sisters could tell. This was so important to them, they sought out the help of the Master, Himself.
11:3-- Mary and Martha "sent" (prayed, maybe?, if not sent WHOM?) to Yashua, telling Him "Lazarus, our brother is sick??" NO, thats not what they said.
They prayed "Lord, he "whom you love" is weak and ineffectual. They knew Yashua loves the Priesthood, which is His Elect.
Another strange thing about this story is that THERE IS NO EVIDENCE in any of the Gospels that Yashua ever previously visited with a MAN named Lazarus. If indeed Lazarus was the flesh brother of Mary and Martha, it is not mentioned in any Gospel account having to do with Mary and Martha . In Lk 10:38+, Lazarus is totally missing. It is interesting, however, that in the account of the annointing and supper given Jn 12, Lazarus, the priesthood, was finally worthy to sit at the same table with Yashua AFTER he had been revived.
11:4-- Yashua says "The Priesthood will not die forever. The sickness and ineffectuality will be for the Father's Glory. It is all part of the plan".
11:5 parenthetically adds, "Yashua loves all his children. The Priesthood, as well as those who sorrow for it, like Mary and Martha."
11:6---Yashua for sure already knew the priesthood was sick. Even after his servants (Mary and Martha) prayed Him, He waited TWO DAYS, staying in the SAME PLACE He was..
He did not respond immediately. HE DELAYED 2 DAYS, think about it.
11:7thru10---- Yashua tells the students "Let us go again to your brothers". The students remind him they may be killed. In V16 Thomas says 'Lets all go and die with Him." (Yashua) Yashua tells them plainly that the priesthood is dead, but (V11) "I go that I may bring him (the priesthood) back from death."
11:17--When Yashua came, he found that the priesthood had lain in the grave 4 days. 2 of the days was caused by His delay, and just perhaps, one other was the 1000 years since the death of Samuel (the last of the Eleazar priests). The fourth day represents the 1000 year millenium, yet to come, when the priesthood shall be immortalized for eternity, and fit to sit at the same table as Yashua.
11:20--Note that Martha went out to meet Him, while Mary stayed put in "the house".
(probably teaching and disputing the jews). Later, at the annointing (Jn 12) it was Mary that annointed Yashua. In Luke 10, Martha was bellyaching that Mary was sitting around learning the Word, while Martha cooked. These two sisters were just like us Christians today, huh?
11:21--- Jesus, if you had just been here, the priesthood would not have died, and would not stink so badly..
11:22--- Even so, I know (see the faith?) Whatever you will, Father will give it.
11:23--- Yashua says "I will that the priesthood should rise again."
11:24-- Martha says "I know he will (along with everyone else) in the last day"
11:25-26--Yashua then makes a definite statement. He alone is THE "standing up-right", (Gr anistasis) as well as the one who lives (forever). And says "anyone who would live forever must know who I am and what My will is. Do you know AND believe, Martha?"
11:27-29--Martha confessed she knew who He was, but notice the lack of answer about 'belief'. The lack of belief will manifest again soon. Martha went to fetch her sister, yet did so secretly. ¿How did John know she did it secretly? Think about it.
Now lets summarize. Jesus KNEW the priesthood was weak (in knowledge as well as in faith). Even when others (Mary and Martha) prayed Him to come and resurrect (set upright) the priesthood, He tarried TWO days where He was, allowing time to fulfill itself. He KNEW that in two more days, the priesthood would be completely silent in death. He WAITED two days to answer the prayer. When He did answer the prayer, He was greeted by Martha whining "Oh if you only had been here". (11:21) In the next several verses, Yashua spent time to teach Martha why.
11-30-- While Yashua yet tarried Martha went to Mary, and certainly Yashua expected her to do a little teaching to Mary. But, no, the first words out of Mary's mouth was the same whine Martha used.
11:32-- "Oh if you only had been here".
11:33-35-- No wonder Yashua 'snorted' and wept. No way was the priesthood going to live without Him. None had yet the faith to keep it alive. Not even his disciples.
11:31 and 36-37-- The people of the land (Jews) were apparently "friends" (good ol pew-warmers) of the priesthood and of it's disciples, Mary and Martha. At least they had some inkling who Yashua was, asking if He could not have staved off the death.
11:38--Still 'snorting' with righteous indignation at the lack of knowledge and belief among the priesthood's congregation, Yashua comes to the burying-place. It was a 'cave' (a NATURAL hole in the rocks where one might go to hide from the wrath of the Lamb--see Rev 6:16-17). As a matter of fact, the cave was indeed covered with a stone.
Yashua brought the priesthood out of his hiding place, where in his four-day death, even his eyes were covered with a cloth, illustrating the stinking, dark blindness the priesthood is in today.
Note that even when the priesthood was resurrected, he was still unable to see, or to help himself. Yashua asked the ones who stood by to 'loose him' and let him go.
In time, The Elect will help The Master to remove the blindfold from the eyes of the priesthood.
Until that time, we must continue to help our brothers and sisters as we can and, most of all, keep on keeping on.
Taken from: The Watchman's Buffet -- http://home.earthlink.net/~bobseller1/id3.html first published in 1998...