John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his
belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Comment: Do we actually have literal water flow from our belly? The next verse answers this question. No, it is the spirit of God with the resurrected soul of Christ one with it. Now back to verse 38: what does belly mean? Is it a literal belly? Let’s see.
Please click on the two-immediate links below.
John 7:38 Interlinear: he who is believing in me, according as the Writing said, Rivers out of his belly shall flow of living water;'
Strong's Greek: 2836. κοιλία (koilia) -- belly
The best choice for
G2836 would be
#5 as so stated below.
Definition 5. in imitation of the Hebrew בֶּטֶן, tropically, the innermost part of a man, the soul, heart, as the seat of thought, feeling, choice (Job 15:35; Job 32:18 (the Sept. γαστήρ); Proverbs 18:8 (the Sept. ψυχή); (the Sept. σπλάγχνα); Habakkuk 3:16; Sir. 19:12 Sir. 51:21):
John 7:38.
Verse 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the
holy spirit was not yet; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Comment: We must perceive these verses with spiritual eyes and not rely on our own intellect but on Christ himself to teach us
(1 Cor 2:14, Matt 13:9-11). The bible is full of words and teaching that are symbolic in nature. Look at the book of revelation for example.
Ezk 36:26 A new heart (soul) also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you in : and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.(soul of the Messiah):
Comment: In light of the rest of the scriptures quoted and will be quoted, the
new heart or spirit of flesh is that of the
Messiah after his resurrection and ascension.
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life…6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,… 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin…8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:…5 For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
likeness of his resurrection:…9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the
body of this death?
Comment: Cleaning and growth is a continual process. When we sin, we can be forgiven because we can apply the once and eternal sacrifice of the Messiah to wash away our sins. It then is imputed that we had never sinned. This process starts with the baptism of the spirit. Water baptism is only symbolic of this.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men
, whereby (G1909) all have sinned:
1 Cor 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
Comment: Because of Adam’s sin, death is passed on to all men. Christ paid the penalty for Adam’s sin and thus we can be freed from death. We also can be forgiven of our sins because of Christ’s sacrifice (
Psalm 115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
Eccl 31:9 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one
breath (soul); so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21 Who knoweth the spirit of man (after the resurrection and ascension of the Messiah and those with his spirit in them) that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
Comment: The prophets and saints in the OT had not received Christ’s spirit (soul) as one with the holy spirit
(John 7:39 above). Therefore, their souls rested in the earth. The holy spirit with their higher mind etched in it went back to God who gave it (
Eccl 12:7, Mark 12:26-27, Rom 4:17)).
2 Cor 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be
absent from the body, and to be
present with the Lord.
Comment: After Christ’s ascension, there is the additional of spiritual resurrection of the soul for both the OT and NT saints (
Matt 5:25, John 11:25-26).
The last phase is the resurrection of the body.