The Canonical Column, Book 62: 1 John

We now continue our journey through the Canonical Column with the sixty-second book of the biblical canon — 1 John. For those unfamiliar with this mystery, the Canonical Column is a divinely embedded framework within Scripture that bears dual witness to the biblical canon through an organized network of witnessing chapters found in three key Old Testament books — Genesis, Leviticus, and Isaiah.¹ For readers new to this series, I recommend first reviewing the introductory article, which lays out the foundational context for the insights explored here.²

Suffice it to say that the Canonical Column refers to a divinely designed structural framework and prophetic network embedded within the Bible which bears witness to the final form of the biblical canon—testifying to its 39–27 book division, identifying all 66 books within it, and even delineating the exact order in which they would appear. In this sense, it may be likened to an internal measuring line that God deliberately placed within his Word, allowing us to determine objectively which canon of Scripture is the correct one.

As established in previous installments, every book of the Bible is confirmed by two witnessing chapters within the Canonical Column—one drawn from the Law (Genesis 12–50 or Leviticus) and the other from the Prophets (Isaiah).³ In the case of 1 John, its two witnesses are Leviticus 23 and Isaiah 62. Both of these chapters function within their respective branches of the Canonical Column as figurative types of the epistle of 1 John. To this end, each has been divinely embedded with textual allusions to specific passages within the epistle of 1 John and intentionally sequenced as the twenty-third chapter in its branch of the framework, and sixty-second of its branch-pair, reflecting 1 John’s ordinal position as both the twenty-third book of the New Testament and the sixty-second book of the Bible. As we will see, it is by the mouth of these two witnesses that the divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordained placement of 1 John are firmly established.

Table of Contents anchor

The Epistle of 1 John

The First Epistle of John is one of the most pastoral and doctrinally rich books of the New Testament. Written near the end of the first century, likely from Ephesus, it addresses believers who had recently endured a painful schism. False teachers influenced by emerging Gnostic ideas had departed from the apostolic community—denying the true incarnation of Christ (1 John 4:2–3), rejecting the reality of sin (1:8–10), and abandoning the fellowship of the saints (2:19). In response, the apostle writes that his purpose is to secure believers in the knowledge of the truth “that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (5:13) and to preserve communion with God through the apostolic message entrusted to them (1:3).

The letter emphasizes a series of ethical and doctrinal “tests” that distinguish the children of God from the world: walking in the light rather than darkness (1:5–7), active love toward the brethren (3:10–18), confessing that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (4:2–3), and abiding in God’s commandments (2:3–6). These marks are not mere external proofs, but the spiritual fruit of fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ—made possible by Christ’s propitiatory sacrifice and continued advocacy (2:1–2). Throughout, the apostle encourages believers to abide, remain, continue—to hold fast to the truth they received at the beginning.

Authorship & Dating

From the earliest centuries of the Church, the First Epistle of John has been overwhelmingly attributed to the apostle John, the beloved disciple of Jesus and author of the Fourth Gospel. Early Christian writers such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen cite the epistle as Johannine, recognizing its deep theological unity with the Gospel of John—particularly in its distinctive vocabulary (light, life, love, truth, “from the beginning”), its Christological focus on the incarnation, and its familial language describing believers as the children of God. Modern critical scholarship largely agrees that the author belonged to the same Johannine circle, even when some propose a more nuanced view of authorship involving a community shaped by the apostle’s teaching. Yet the personal, authoritative tone of the epistle—contrasting sharply with 2 and 3 John’s self-designation “the elder”—continues to support the traditional position that the work reflects the voice and pastoral authority of John himself, writing to believers under his care.

The date of the epistle is generally placed toward the end of the first century, after the Gospel of John, likely between AD 85–95 during the apostle’s ministry in Ephesus. By this time, the first wave of false teachings influenced by incipient Gnosticism had begun to infiltrate Christian communities. These teachers denied that Jesus Christ had come in genuine human flesh (1 John 4:2–3), claimed spiritual enlightenment while rejecting apostolic instruction (2:19, 4:6), and minimized the seriousness of sin (1:8–10). John’s writing reflects the maturity of a lifetime spent proclaiming the Word of Life, now urging the next generation to remain faithful to what they had “heard from the beginning” (2:24). His purpose, then, is both protective and pastoral: to fortify the believing community through apostolic truth, preserving their fellowship with God and their confidence in the face of rising doctrinal deception. Thus, whether viewed through traditional eyes or modern scholarship, the historical context of 1 John reveals an aged apostle addressing a beloved flock at a critical moment of transition in the early Church’s story.

Witnessing Chapters of 1 John in the Canonical Column

Having introduced the epistle’s background and authorship, we now turn to its two appointed witnesses within the Canonical Column. Placed within the framework of the Canonical Column, 1 John is witnessed by Leviticus 23 and Isaiah 62, both of which typologically portray the redeemed community living together in covenant fellowship around the essential truths of redemption. The feasts of the LORD in Leviticus 23 symbolize the fundamental realities of the gospel—Christ’s death, resurrection, indwelling Spirit, promised return, and consummating union—realities which bind God’s people together in holy convocations. Isaiah 62 anticipates this same restored fellowship in eschatological fullness, as God rejoices over His people and declares them holy, redeemed, and forever “not forsaken.”

In addition to the thematic overlap, within each of these chapters one can also discern divinely embedded allusions to the scenes, imagery, and language of the epistle of 1 John—through which they together affirm its divine authorship, canonicity, and its ordained position as both the twenty-third book of the New Testament (within An Holy Priesthood) and the sixty-second book of the divinely sanctioned biblical canon overall (within Second Isaiah).⁴

Context of Leviticus 23

Leviticus 23 is situated within the greater legal and cultic framework of the Mosaic covenant, where God establishes the sacred rhythms that were to govern Israel’s corporate life. Immediately following laws pertaining to ritual purity, priestly holiness, and reverence for the sanctuary (Lev. 17–22), this chapter outlines the appointed “feasts of the LORD”—holy convocations in which the entire nation assembled before God to commemorate His saving acts and renew their covenant fellowship. These sacred days were not merely cultural traditions or agricultural observances; they were divine appointments rooted in Israel’s collective memory of redemption from Egypt and in their ongoing dependence upon the God who sanctifies them (23:43).

The feasts follow a chronological sequence anchored to Israel’s liturgical calendar, beginning in the spring with Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, each recalling the Exodus and the Lord’s deliverance. The Feast of Weeks celebrates the first harvest and acknowledges the LORD as the giver of all provision. The autumn festivals—Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles—look ahead to Israel’s final ingathering and their full restoration to God’s presence. Each feast contains its own distinctive rites and restrictions, yet the unifying theme of the chapter is unmistakable: God gathers His people to Himself, sets them apart from the nations, and shapes their identity around His saving grace.

While Israel observed these appointed times generation after generation, the chapter anticipates more than agricultural cycles or historical remembrances. The very structure of the feasts points toward a greater work yet to be accomplished—one in which salvation, atonement, and divine fellowship would find their fullest expression. In this way, Leviticus 23 functions as both a liturgical calendar and a theological blueprint, grounding Israel’s hope in the God who redeems, restores, and dwells with His people.

Leviticus 23 -> 1 John

As the twenty-third chapter of An Holy Priesthood (which functions within the Canonical Column as a figurative type of the New Testament canon), as well as the sixty-second chapter of the Law pair of branches (The Circumcision and An Holy Priesthood), Leviticus 23 has been deliberately designed by God to serve as a figurative type of the epistle of 1 John—ordained before the foundation of the world to become the twenty-third book of the New Testament and the sixty-second book of the Bible. Accordingly, this chapter has been divinely embedded with allusions and echoes of various kinds to specific scenes and passages that God, in his perfect foreknowledge, knew would be found within the epistle of 1 John. The comparative table below documents a selection of the most notable of these allusions, with explanations provided in the accompanying footnotes.

Because Leviticus 23 relies heavily on ceremonial imagery, a brief explanation of its typology will help clarify how these appointed feasts prophetically witness the gospel realities affirmed in 1 John. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, Leviticus 23 functions as a figurative outline of Christian orthodoxy itself. The chapter’s “holy convocations” symbolize not merely Israel’s ancient feast days, but the gathering of the true body of believers in spiritual fellowship around the essential truths of the gospel. Each feast embodies one of the foundational doctrines of the faith—Passover signifying the death of Jesus; the Feast of Unleavened Bread signifying the spiritual sanctification of the body of Christ; Firstfruits signifying His resurrection; the Feast of Weeks signifying the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; the Feast of Trumpets signifying the promise of His return; the Day of Atonement signifying the doctrine of justification and Christ’s imputed righteousness; and the Feast of Tabernacles signifying the consummation of all things in divine union—together forming a complete cycle of redemption.

In its corresponding witness, the epistle of 1 John addresses a community that had been fractured by Gnostic teachers who denied these very truths, departing from the apostolic fellowship. Thus, the convocations of Leviticus 23 typologically portray the faithful remnant of believers in 1 John who continue to “walk in the light,” abiding in love and unity upon the essential doctrinal foundations that the heretics had forsaken. Leviticus 23 therefore serves as a ceremonial prototype of true Christian fellowship—its feasts standing as symbolic representations of the essential gospel doctrines articulated in 1 John.

Leviticus 23	1 John
In the fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s passover.5 (Leviticus 23:5)	But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7; cf. 3:16)
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.6 (Leviticus 23:6-8)	And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. (1 John 3:3-6)
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.7 (Leviticus 23:9-14)	Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9)
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.8 (Leviticus 23:15-16)	And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:24; cf. 1 John 4:13; 5:6; 5:10)
Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.9 (Leviticus 23:17)	If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.10 (Leviticus 23:22)	But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1 John 3:17)
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.11 (Leviticus 23:23-24)	And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at His coming. (1 John 2:28)
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.12 (Leviticus 23:26-27)	My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)
And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.13 (Leviticus 23:40-43)	No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:12-16)
And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.14 (Leviticus 23:44)	That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3)

Context of Isaiah 62

Isaiah 62 stands within the closing portion of the book of Isaiah (chapters 56–66), a section often called Third Isaiah due to its focus on Israel’s post-exilic future and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises. These chapters envision a restored Jerusalem—no longer a city of desolation but a radiant people redeemed by the LORD. Against the backdrop of exile’s sorrow and the apparent delay of restoration, the prophet announces God’s unwavering commitment to Zion: He will not rest until her righteousness shines like the dawn and her salvation blazes like a lamp (62:1). What follows is a breathtaking portrait of transformation, rooted not in Israel’s merit, but in God’s covenant love and determination to glorify His people before all nations.

The chapter employs rich marital imagery to describe this restoration. Zion, once abandoned and humiliated, will receive a new name reflecting her renewed status—Hephzibah (“My delight is in her”) and Beulah (“Married”)—expressing God’s joy in reclaiming His people as His own (62:4–5). Watchmen are appointed to intercede continually for the city until God fulfills His word (62:6–7), and a universal proclamation is issued announcing the arrival of salvation and the King who brings reward with Him (62:11). The final declaration names the redeemed as a holy people sought out by God, a city forever free from forsakenness (62:12).

Isaiah 62 thus functions as a climactic vision of divine faithfulness: God not only rescues His people from captivity, but restores them to fellowship, honor, and intimate union with Himself. It anticipates the day when salvation will come in personal form—when the LORD will rejoice over His people as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, and when the nations will behold the glory of Zion lifted up by the hand of her God.

Isaiah 62 -> 1 John

As the twenty-third chapter of Second Isaiah (which functions within the Canonical Column as a figurative type of the New Testament canon), and the sixty-second chapter of the Prophets pair of branches (First Isaiah and Second Isaiah), Isaiah 62 has been deliberately designed by God to serve as a figurative type of the epistle of 1 John—ordained before the foundation of the world to become both the twenty-third book of the New Testament and the sixty-second book of the Bible. Accordingly, this chapter has been divinely embedded with allusions and echoes of various kinds to specific scenes and passages that God, in his perfect foreknowledge, knew would be found within the epistle of 1 John. The comparative table below documents a selection of the most notable of these allusions, with explanations provided in the accompanying footnotes.

Isaiah 62	1 John
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, . . . .15 (Isaiah 62:1a)	I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. (1 John 2:12)
. . . . until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.16 (Isaiah 62:1b)	Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. (1 John 2:12)
Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.17 (Isaiah 62:4)	And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. (1 John 3:22)
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.18 (Isaiah 62:5)	And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16; cf. 1 John 2:13-14)
Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, . . . .19 (Isaiah 62:11a)	And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:17-18)
. . . . Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.20 (Isaiah 62:11b)	And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. . . . And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:25, 28)
And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken.21 (Isaiah 62:12)	Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1)

Leviticus 23 <-> Isaiah 62

When I first discovered the Canonical Column in late 2009, I understood it in a much simpler form. At the time, I believed that each witnessing chapter had been deliberately embedded by God with allusions to its corresponding biblical book—and that this was the full extent of the pattern. However, deeper study eventually revealed a far more intricate design than I initially realized. It became unmistakable that not only do the witnessing chapters connect directly to their corresponding biblical books within the framework, but the two witnessing chapters of any given biblical book also allude to one another. What I had originally perceived as a linear correspondence proved instead to be a woven network of interlocking testimony. The example below—drawn from the two witnessing chapters of 1 John—demonstrates this internal harmony.

Leviticus 23

Isaiah 62

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.22 (Leviticus 23:10-14)

The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness. (Isaiah 62:8-9)

Group Chat

The table below documents an instance of triadic structural and theological alignment between the book of 1 John and its two witnessing chapters in the Canonical Column. Here we see all three parallel branches of the framework engaged in a unified three-way prophetic dialogue. Behold:

Leviticus 23	Isaiah 62	1 John
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.23 (Leviticus 23:23-24)	Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. (Isaiah 62:11)	And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. . . . And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:25, 28)

As explained in previous installments of this series, triadic alignments such as this are common within the Canonical Column, and are one of the strongest forms of evidence which prove its existence–testifying to the extraordinary complexity and mind-boggling symmetry of the framework.

The canonicity & placement of 1 John is established by its two witnessing chapters in the Canonical Column: Leviticus 23 & Isaiah 62.

The canonicity of the epistle of 1 John is affirmed by its two witnessing chapters within the Canonical Column: Leviticus 23 and Isaiah 62. These chapters were not placed arbitrarily, but have been meticulously embedded with deliberate textual allusions to their corresponding biblical book, and arranged within their respective branches of the framework in order to bear witness of that book and its ordained position within the canon. As previously stated, each witnessing chapter reflects a different aspect of 1 John’s canonical placement—Leviticus 23 signifying its role as the twenty-third book of the New Testament, and Isaiah 62 signifying its position as the sixty-second book of the Bible overall. Both chapters have been divinely embedded with direct allusions to specific passages and content that God, in his perfect foreknowledge, knew would be contained within the epistle of 1 John, which was ordained before the foundation of the world to serve as both the twenty-third book of the New Testament and the sixty-second book of the biblical canon. Accordingly, by the testimony of these two witnesses within the Canonical Column, the divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordinal placement of the epistle of 1 John are established—being witnessed by both the Law and the Prophets.

1. I received the knowledge of this great mystery by the light of divine revelation way back in 2009 (1 Chron. 28:19; Num. 8:4; cf. 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 1:12). ↩︎
2. Alternatively, if that article is too long, you can read a summarized version here. ↩︎
3. Every book of the Bible has two chapters which correspond to it within the Canonical Column–one in Genesis 12-50 or Leviticus (the Law), and one in Isaiah (the Prophets). Genesis 12-50 (known in the Canonical Column as “The Circumcision”) and Isaiah 1-39 (known in the Canonical Column as “First Isaiah”) are both figurative types of the Old Testament canon–each containing 39 chapters which have been divinely designed to prefigure the 39 books of the Old Testament canon. Similarly, Leviticus (known in the Canonical Column as “An Holy Priesthood”) and Isaiah 40-66 (known in the Canonical Column as “Second Isaiah”) function as figurative types of the New Testament canon–each containing 27 chapters which have been divinely designed to prefigure the 27 books of the New Testament canon. The individual chapters within these four scaffolding branches of the Canonical Column are known as witnessing chapters, so called because they have been divinely embedded with textual allusions of various kinds to the content of the specific biblical book which occupies the same numerical position within the canonical sequence. Thus the witnessing chapters function as divinely designed figurative types of whatever biblical book they numerically correspond to within their specific branch of the framework–testifying to their divine inspiration, canonicity, and ordinal placement within the completed biblical canon. ↩︎
4. The Canonical Column testifies that the Protestant biblical canon is the divinely sanctioned form of the Christian Bible that is stamped with the Lamb’s seal of messianic approval. ↩︎
5. In Leviticus 23:5, the LORD appoints the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month — the memorial of Israel’s deliverance through the blood of the lamb. Within the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 1:7, where the apostle declares that the blood of Jesus Christ — the true Passover Lamb — cleanses us from all sin (cf. 1 John 3:16). Both passages unite deliverance and atonement in the redemptive death of the Lamb. ↩︎
6. In Leviticus 23:6–8, Israel is commanded to remove all leaven and observe a seven-day feast of unleavened bread. As GotQuestions.org rightly observes: “A key element of this feast is the consumption of unleavened bread, symbolizing the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. Moreover, the required removal of all leaven (or yeast) from the household represents the removal of sin and impurity from one’s life (see 1 Corinthians 5:7).” Noting this, we can clearly see that within the framework of the Canonical Column, the description of the feast of Unleavened Bread here in Leviticus 23:6-8 functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 3:3–6, where those who have hope in Christ are exhorted to purify themselves, for “in him is no sin.” Just as leaven represents the presence and spread of sin, so abiding in Christ demands a life cleansed from the leaven of unrighteousness. GotQuestions.org. “What Is the Feast of Unleavened Bread?” Accessed October 26, 2025. https://www.gotquestions.org/Feast-of-Unleavened-Bread.html ↩︎
7. In Leviticus 23:9–14, Israel is commanded to bring the sheaf of the firstfruits to the priest so that the initial portion of the harvest might be consecrated to the LORD—signifying His acceptance of the whole. This first sheaf functions as the representative beginning of a new life-cycle in the land God gives them. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this clearly alludes to 1 John 3:9, where those born of God are described as having His seed within them. Just as the firstfruits sheaf marked the beginning of the harvest belonging to God, the believer—made a firstfruit of the new creation—bears the evidence of divine life as God’s seed remains in him. ↩︎
8. In Leviticus 23:15–16, Israel is instructed to count seven Sabbaths from the day of Firstfruits, culminating in the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), which celebrated God’s continued provision and presence among His people. Jewish tradition associates this festival with the giving of the Law at Sinai, while Christian theology recognizes its fulfillment in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), who now indwells the covenant community. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 3:24 (cf. 4:13; 5:6, 10), where believers are assured that they dwell in God, and He in them, by the Spirit which He hath given us. Both passages center on the divine gift of God’s presence, marking His people as His own. ↩︎
9. This particular allusion suddenly popped out at me when I learned something that I was unaware of while reading an article about the Feast of Weeks recently. According to GotQuestions.org, The Feast of Weeks is the only feast in which leavened bread was used. Noting that leaven in the Bible is frequently used as a symbol of sin, they note that the leavened bread used in the bread in the Feast of Weeks is thought to be representative of the fact that there is still sin within the body of Christ, and will be until his Second Coming. When we plug in this symbolism and interpretation into our reading of Leviticus 23:17, it suddenly becomes clear that this is functioning within the Canonical Column as a clever and deliberate allusion to 1 John 1:8-10, where John states that “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” GotQuestions.org. “What Is the Feast of Weeks?” Accessed October 25, 2025. https://www.gotquestions.org/Feast-of-Weeks.html. ↩︎
10. In Leviticus 23:22, Israel is commanded not to fully reap the corners of their fields, but to leave the gleanings for the poor and the stranger, thereby demonstrating covenant love in tangible provision for those in need. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 3:17, where the apostle states that withholding earthly goods from a brother in need contradicts the love of God dwelling within a believer. Both passages unite genuine righteousness with compassionate care for the vulnerable, revealing love through action rather than profession. ↩︎
11. In Leviticus 23:23–24, the Feast of Trumpets summons Israel to a holy convocation marked by the sounding of trumpets—a ritual widely understood to signify a call to prepare for the LORD’s coming (cf. Joel 2:1). In biblical eschatology, the trumpet blast becomes closely associated with the public appearing of the Messiah (cf. 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16). Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 2:28, where believers are exhorted to abide in Christ so that at His appearing they may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him. Both passages emphasize watchful preparation for the moment when the King Himself arrives. ↩︎
12. In Leviticus 23:26–27, the Day of Atonement is appointed as a holy convocation in which Israel is called to afflict their souls while a sacrificial offering secures atonement for the sins of the people. This annual rite provided cleansing through the ministry of the high priest on behalf of the nation (cf. Leviticus 16). Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 2:1–2, where believers are assured that if they sin, they have “an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” who is also the propitiation for their sins. Both passages center on the necessity of atonement and God’s gracious provision of a mediator who secures forgiveness on behalf of His people. ↩︎
13. In Leviticus 23:40–43, Israel is commanded to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles by dwelling in temporary booths, commemorating the time when the LORD caused His people to dwell in the wilderness under His sheltering presence. The feast expresses both joyful fellowship with God and the reality that He dwells with His redeemed. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 4:12–16, where believers are assured that God dwelleth in us, and we in Him, through the Spirit He has given. As Israel once dwelt in booths under God’s visible presence, so now God’s redeemed people become His dwelling place — the greater fulfillment of divine fellowship anticipated in the feast. ↩︎
14. In Leviticus 23:44, Moses declares the feasts of the LORD to the children of Israel, publicly announcing the appointed times of their fellowship with God and with one another. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 1:3, where the apostle declares the word of life so that believers may have fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Both passages emphasize that the true people of God are called together into shared communion through a message declared by God’s ordained servant. ↩︎
15. This is a clever one. In Isaiah 62:1, the prophet declares that he will not keep silent for Zion’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, invoking the chosen place where the LORD has set His name (cf. 1 Kgs. 11:36; 14:21). Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 2:12, where believers are assured that their sins are forgiven “for his name’s sake.” ↩︎
16. In Isaiah 62:1b, Zion’s righteousness is said to go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth, invoking imagery of light pushing back darkness. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 2:8, where the apostle affirms that “the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.” Both passages depict the dawning of God’s saving work as a visible and radiant transformation that reveals His people as belonging to the light. ↩︎
17. In Isaiah 62:4, Zion is given new covenant names—Hephzibah (“My delight is in her”) and Beulah (“Married”)—signifying that the LORD no longer regards His people as forsaken, but now delights in them and restores them to intimate favor. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 3:22, where believers receive whatever they ask of God because they keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. In other words, they receive whatever they ask for because their hearts are in alignment with his (Ps. 37:4), and therefore they delight to do what he delights in (Phil. 2:13; cf. Heb. 13:21; 1 Kings 8:58; Ps. 119:36). ↩︎
18. In Isaiah 62:5, the LORD likens His restored relationship with Zion to a bridegroom rejoicing over his bride, highlighting God’s delighting love toward His people. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 4:16a—“we have known and believed the love that God hath to us”—where the redeemed acknowledge and trust God’s love toward them. The verse’s closing line (“he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him”) expresses the consequent fellowship that flows from that known-and-believed love (cf. the epistle’s distinctive address to “young men” in 2:13–14). ↩︎
19. In Isaiah 62:11a, the prophet announces that the LORD has proclaimed unto the end of the world, signaling a global and eschatological declaration of God’s coming intervention. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 2:17–18, where the apostle affirms that “the world passeth away” and that “it is the last time”, marked by the rise of antichrists. Both passages situate God’s redemptive message within an end-of-the-age context, emphasizing that the world’s present order is nearing its appointed conclusion. ↩︎
20. In Isaiah 62:11b, Zion is told, “Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him”—a prophetic announcement that salvation will arrive as a person, bringing blessing and reward at His appearing. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 2:25, 28, where believers are assured of the promise of eternal life and exhorted to abide in Christ, so that at His appearing they may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him. Both passages unite the Lord’s personal coming with the bestowal of salvation and the reward given to those who faithfully await Him. ↩︎
21. In Isaiah 62:12, the prophet writes: “And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD:” marking their restoration to covenant favor and the bestowal of a new identity rooted in God’s delight. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this functions as an obvious allusion to 1 John 3:1, where John writes: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” Both passages emphasize that God names His people according to His redeeming love, granting them a new status that the world does not recognize but heaven declares. ↩︎
22. In Leviticus 23:10–14, Israel is commanded that when they enter the land and reap its harvest, they must bring the firstfruits of their grain to the priest, who waves the sheaf before the LORD in the court of the sanctuary so that the entire harvest may be accepted on their behalf. Until that moment of divine acceptance, they are forbidden to eat any of the grain or its produce. This liturgical act declares that every blessing from the land belongs first to God, and only by His approval may His people enjoy it. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, this is powerfully echoed in Isaiah 62:8–9, where the LORD swears that Israel’s enemies will no longer consume their grain or drink their wine, but that those who gather it shall eat it and praise the LORD, and those who bring it together shall drink it in the courts of His holiness. The very location where their harvest was once presented in dependence — the sanctuary courts — now becomes the place of secure and joyful feasting. What Leviticus institutes as a conditional sign of covenant allegiance, Isaiah declares as the guaranteed result of covenant restoration: God Himself ensures that His people will enjoy their harvest in His presence, free from all threat of devourers. ↩︎
23. In Leviticus 23:23–24, the Feast of Trumpets inaugurates the seventh month with the blowing of trumpets—a ritual memorial announcing the arrival of the LORD’s appointed time and calling the assembly to readiness for His coming judgments and mercies. Typologically, the Feast of Trumpets has long been taken to symbolize the Second Coming of Christ. This expectation is echoed in Isaiah 62:11, where the prophet proclaims to the ends of the earth: “Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him,” signaling the imminent arrival of the LORD’s Deliverer. Within the framework of the Canonical Column, both of these verses serve as obvious allusions to 1 John 2:25, 28, where believers are exhorted to “abide in Him,” so that when He shall appear, they may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming—assured by His promise of eternal life. Because the witnessing chapters are here pointing to the same target passage in 1 John, they consequently end up alluding to one another as well, highlighting the deliberate and astonishingly intricate structural design of the Canonical Column. ↩︎

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