Kingdom Parables

M. M. NINAN
unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a
single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
When Moses went up into the presence of God to receive instructions
on Law and ceremonies, God was telling him about Jesus all the time. So
in all symbols of worship we will see Jesus symbolized. Jesus appears as
wheat, as fruits of Life. Lev. 23: 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the
LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on
the day after the Sabbath.
Jesus went through the mill of worldly suffering to bring about this and
was ground by it. So he appears as the meal or flour in the Old
Testament. There are ways of presenting the meal for acceptable
sacrifice - oblation as dough from wheat flour, baked in an oven, cooked
in a girdle and fried in a pan (Lev. 2:4-10)
But it is always without leaven mixed in oil (symbol of anointing of Jesus
as Prophet, Priest and King) but added with salt (symbol of the
covenant and non-decaying preservative). It is always burned with
frankincense (symbol of acceptance through obedient suffering - being
broken and thereby giving out fragrance)
Jesus said: " I am the bread of life ....I am the bread that came down
from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live fore ever; and the
bread which I shall give for this world is my flesh" (Jn. 6:35-51) As a
symbol of feeding on the Word of God (Jesus) on the table inside the
temple were twelve unleavened loaves of bread renewed every week. It
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