THE PREPOSITIONS CONNECTED WITH SUBSTITUTION used in connection with atonement, expressing Christ's death on behalf of His people, occur also in multiples of five:— uper (huper), which means on behalf of, in the interests of, occurs 585 times, the factors of this being 5 x 13 x 9, i.e., grace, atonement, and judgment. peri (peri), a word of similar sense and usage, meaning about or concerning, occurs 195 times, of which the factors are 5 x 13 x 3, or grace, atonement, and divinity.
THE HOLY ANOINTING OIL (Exo 30:23-25) was composed of five parts, for it was a revelation of pure grace. This five is marked by the numbers four and one. For four parts were spices, and one was oil. The four principal species:— 1. Myrrh, 500 shekels (5x100). 2. Sweet cinnamon, 250 shekels (5x50). 3. Sweet calamus, 250 shekels (5x50). 4. Cassia, 500 shekels (5x100). And olive oil, one hin. This anointing oil was holy, for it separated to God; nothing else could separate. It was of God, and therefore of grace; and therefore the number of its ingredients was five, and their quantities were all multiples of five. Seven classes of persons or things were consecrated with this holy oil:— 1. Aaron and his sons. 2. The Tabernacle itself. 3. The table and its vessels. 4. The candlestick and its furniture. 5. The altar of burnt offering and its vessels. 6. The altar of incense. 7. The laver and its foot. The word for "consecration" and the act are so misunderstood that it may be well to make a passing note upon it. The Hebrew is )lm (Mah-leh). It means, to fill, fill up, complete. Its first occurrence is Genesis 1:22, "multiply and fill the waters in the seas." So 21:19, "she filled the bottle with water"; 29:21, "My days are fulfilled"; Exodus 15:9, "My soul shall have its fill of them"; 28:41, "Thou shalt fill their hand." This has been translated consecrate, which is a -118-