That’s NOT what Scripture says, as I showed you. God is NOT subject to time as WE are.
The Lamb who was sacrificed before the foundations of the world. This is the timeless, ETRNAL language that refers to Heaven.
God had already determined that Jesus would be sacrificed, in time, before the foundation of the world; however, the actual sacrifice took place over the course of a few hours, then was accomplished in full. The effects of that are eternal.
That’s NOT what Jesus said . . .
In John 6, Jesus stated in NO uncertain terms:
John 6:53-56
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you EAT the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do NOT have life within you. “
“Whoever EATS MY FLESH and DRINKS MY BLOOD has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For MY FLESH IS TRUE FOOD, and MY BLOOD IS TRUE DRINK. Whoever EATS MY FLESH and DRINKS MY BLOOD remains in me and I in him.”
Now, note that the usual Greek word used for human eating is “phagon”, however, this is NOT the word used in these passages. John uses the word, “trogon”, which means, “to munch or to gnaw” - like an animal. Jesus was again using hyperbole as he often did to drive his point across so that the crowd would understand that he was NOT speaking metaphorically. He MEANTwhat he said.
Do you not know what a metaphor is? Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by literally gnawing a wafer of flour and water!
Just as the Paschal Lamb was to be eaten, it is also true for the Lamb of God.
The physical Passover was a type of believing in Jesus Christ and the cross, thereby being covered by the blood of Christ (not literally, of course).
When the crowd thinks this teaching is too bizarre to follow – many of them LEAVE Him and return to their former way of life (John 6:66)
They found it hard to swallow, precisely because they took it literally, not realising that Jesus was using a metaphor.
As far as why some of his disciples left him is concerned - that was nothing to do with "eating his flesh and drinking his blood"; rather, it was because he said that no man could come to him, unless the Father drew him.
John 6:64-66 (W.E.B.)
64 But
there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him.
65 He said, “
For this cause have I said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”
66
At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Does Jesus explain to them that He was speaking symbolically or metaphorically?
NOPE. He says, "Does this SHOCK you?"
If the disciples who left had had believing hearts (that's a metaphor, by the way), they would have understood that he was using a metaphor.
Then He turns to the Apostles and asks them:
“Do YOU also want to leave?”
They believed, so they didn't want to leave.
At the Last Supper – does Jesus say, “This SYMBOLIZES my Body” and “This SYMBOLIZES my Blood”?
NO – He says: “This IS my Body” and “This IS my Blood.”
That's how metaphors work; they are not spelt out as similes are.
If I say, "The sea was like glass.", that is a simile. If I say, "The sea was glass.", that is a metaphor.
If you can’t believe thee very words of Jesus – then I don’t know what to tell you . . .
Do you believe that Jesus is a literal door, with hinges and a handle? Do you believe that the Lord is literally a rock?
If you don't understand biblical metaphors, then you will get things wrong, right, left and centre, just as the hyper-literal Pharisees did.
