The Gateway Arch in the Bible
Here is an intriguing dispatch from our Father’s “Daily Planet’s” crack reporter, “Jimmy Olsen.” Very much worth studying by any Bible student, but especially pertinent in view of our St. Louis meetings next weekend. Thanks, Jimmy!
James,
You mentioned in your posting about meeting under the Arch (of the covenant)… just a quick thought for you…
Ezekiel chapter 40 is only place in the Bible which contains the word “Arch.” If fact, 15 times the word “eylam” is used for arches. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, which is also known as the Gateway to the West, is 630 feet high and 630 feet wide. Joshua led the Israelites westward as they crossed through the Jordan River into the Promised Land. The Jordan crossing was the Gateway to the West for ancient Israel. The number 42 is associated with crossing over (and the generation Christ appears in), since the Israelites under Joshua crossed into the Promised Land on their 42nd camp movement. That connects the Gateway Arch to the Promised Land crossing, because “42” x 15 (arches in Bible) = 630 (Gateway Arch).
The first verse of Chapter 40 indicates that it was “the five and twentieth year of our captivity.” Twenty-five years ago about takes US back to 1986, when the last Jubilee came unnoticed by most. There was no forgiveness of debt or return of property; hence we are also in our 25 year of captivity.
The next part of Ezekiel 40, verse 1 tells us that Ezekiel’s vision of the Temple occurred “in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month…” The 10th day of the New Year is the Day of Atonement or day of Jubilee, depending on the year. This corresponds to the same day the St. Louis meeting will be taking place. Each arch had a corresponding gate; therefore, the arches in Ezekiel 40 could be considered Gateway Arches. For these reasons and others I will share – the meeting in St. Louis appears to be a parallel of Ezekiel 40.
This chapter provides timely points, such as: verse 31and 34 tell us that there were 8 steps going up to the arches toward the utter or outward court. This suggests the Arch is connected to Tabernacles, specifically the Great 8th Day of Tabernacles. 630 feet (high) multiplied 630 feet (wide) produces a surface area of 396,900 sq. feet. If you divide 396,900 by 81 (gematria of “eylam”) it totals 4900 or “490” x 10, which represents National forgiveness or Jubilee.
Ezekiel’s vision is of the spiritual temple, not built of wood and stone, but living stones, which we are. There were 6 arches in Ezekiel’s vision. Each human foot has 3 Arch bones (6 total), which seems to connect each “foot” of the Gateway Arch to the 3 “inner” temple arches and 3 “outer” temple arches of Ezekiel’s Temple vision. http://www.arthursclipart.org/medical/skeletal/arches%20of%20the%20foot.gif (link is no longer valid).
A human embryo develops 6 aortic (heart) Arches. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aortic_arches
In the brain, the fornix (Latin for Arch) looks like an arch and provides the covering for the 3rd ventricle, which pictures the Holy of Holies, with the Pineal gland at the rear of the third ventricle. The third ventricle dips down between the hypothalamus of each side, below which is the pituitary gland. Much more could be said, but I’ll leave it there for now. God bless. -jimmy