*Jesus referred to the “Key of Knowledge” in Luke 11:52
(A Fourteen Chapter Typological Interpretive Guide to Biblical Understanding)
The Purpose of this “Bible Study Guide”
The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 6:19, makes clear his intent as an evangelist for Jesus Christ: “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,” and earlier, in Ephesians 3:1-9, Paul describes the “mystery of Christ“, which, prior to the New Testament era was “not made known” but “is now revealed“…”That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:..to which Paul said he was given the grace by God to “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:“
The purpose of this Bible Study Guide is the same for this author as it was for the Apostle Paul…to boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel! And that gospel to be proclaimed is that Jesus Christ is Lord, God, and Savior!…And that Jesus is the Only Way by which anyone, Jew or non-Jew, can have eternal peace with God in full payment for sins! Moreover, rejecting Jesus (refusing to hear that gospel) leaves only one alternative…suffering for an eternity in Hell for that person’s sins!
This is the same gospel which can be found and described in detail throughout the Bible, albeit more obviously in what we know as the New Testament. But the question is, why did Paul choose to refer to that clear and unequivocal gospel message as being a “mystery”? It is because the greater part, or the bulk, of the Bible, which we know as the Old Testament (and all that was available to Paul in his day) is where that same gospel had been hidden, as a mystery, by God Himself.
Finally, the purpose of this book is to Praise Almighty God: The Father, The Son (The Word), and The Holy Spirit, Who mercifully calls us to eternal life through the redemptive Work of Salvation, Jesus’s Sacrifice and His Shed Blood, as the Bible makes clear to those who read it. Moreover, even if not a single human being left on Earth ever reads, or cares to read, what has been posted on this blog, the LORD willing, this believer will continue to strive to be faithful unto death to what was written in David’s Psalm of Praise as found in Psalm 145.
Introduction: The Bible is “Holy Scripture”, Unlike Any Other Book!
Before we can begin to gain any wisdom, knowledge, understanding, or truth from the Bible, we must realize, and believe with our whole being, that the Bible, God’s Word, is as not only true, but is as Holy as God Himself is Holy. God intimately identifies Himself with His Word as we find in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.“, and later in John 1:14, we see, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” To quote another Christian author… In the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, that God has provided, “God reveals Himself, not merely information about Himself, but HIMSELF.”
The Bible is unique, not only because it is compiled from 66 manuscripts, scribed by over 40 different individuals, over a period spanning 1500 to 1600 years, but because the Bible was written entirely under the inspiration of the infinite Mind of God (The Infinite God Who created the Infinite Universe… as well as created you and me out of nothing) through God’s Holy Spirit, and is not derived in any way out of the intellect of any man (e.g. those individual humans who God used to write the Bible). As a result, it should never be approached (as some teachers have advocated) as one would read “any other book or magazine.” No other book was ever written under Divine inspiration and no other book has been the subject of Providential preservation!
We must, therefore, try to instead approach the study of the Bible with the appropriate reverential awe that The Most High Holy God HIMSELF deserves. God describes the manner in Psalm 2:11 and Isaiah 66:2 as with “fear” and “trembling.” Because this, in reality, is impossible for anyone to do, in and of himself or herself (because everyone is by nature unclean, clumsy, presumptuous, and irreverent), it is only by God’s infinite grace, and longsuffering mercy, that He allows anyone to come to saving truth from the Bible. We must, therefore, humbly, prayerfully, acknowledge our complete destitution apart from the Good Grace of the Almighty Sovereign God. Those who are called to be the children of God, will not only do this, but will seekafter the wisdom and truth of God by searching the Bible. That is why we read in Proverbs 2:1-6, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 4:7 states, “Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” and Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.” And finally, in Psalm 90:12 we read, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.“
The Bible is Alive!
Furthermore, the Bible is not a passive or idle entity. The Bible is the “living” Word of God, and will bring about a reaction in the life of one who reads it, for better or worse, depending on the will of God (and no “other book” is able to read the reader!). That is why we learn in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God [is] quick (meaning that it is “alive“), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.“
Through the hearing of the word (see Romans 10:17) a man is either saved, or more greatly condemned. This is why 2 Corinthians 2:15&16 declares (of those that bring, or preach, the word as found in the Bible alone), “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one [we are] the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life…” Also in Luke 12:48, we read where Jesus states that while those who remain ignorant of the word of God (the Bible) are not excused (they will still be condemned for their sins), they will receive a lesser condemnation than those who are familiar with the word of God, but who, nonetheless, do not become saved, “But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Bible study is not just an intellectual exercise!
It is this teacher’s most sincere hope and prayer that the words found in Ephesians, chapter one (every verse), will apply to whomever receives this Bible Study Guide, particularly verse 17, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (Note also the use of the word “mystery” again in verse 9, “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:“)
Chapter 1: What Makes This Bible Study Guide Different From Other Teachings?
This “Bible Study Guide” is intended to assist the reader (particularly the student of the Bible who is seeking truth from the Bible beyond just the historical and moral lessons) to understand a different hermeneutic than that commonly being taught in the majority of seminaries, educational institutions, and churches today. Today, the commonly taught principles of Bible study instruct us to read the Bible almost exclusively from a perspective that emphasizes: 1) the historical cultural context, 2) the literal meaning of the words and verses as they meant only to the people who were living when they were recorded, 3) the specific situation and setting (including geography) of the people to whom the verses were written at the time of the writings, and 4) how the specific passage being studied might relate to either the Old or New Testament Covenants. That methodology is generally referred to as the “Literal-Grammatical-Historical” method (hermeneutic) of Biblical interpretation, which is largely based on the teachings of the leaders of the Reformation who primarily focused on the “plain meaning” of Scripture.
However, the reality is that there is only one true hermeneutic of the Scriptures, and this is because although the Bible record consists of “plainly understood” historical context (true historical accounts, which are all perfectly crafted and orchestrated by God with valid moral implications), nonetheless God makes clear that He has embedded the real Truth of the spiritual/gospel message throughout the Biblical texts including the historical record, all of which point (albeit allegorically in a veiled manner) directly to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus alone is our only means of salvation for our sins.
This correct hermeneutic recognizes that the Bible is unlike any other book, in that it is entirely “Spiritual“. The Bible is about God, and John 4:24 makes clear that “God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.” Moreover, John 6:63 tells us that, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.“
The Bible is always concerned with such spiritual issues such as sin, versus the Holiness and Righteousness of God. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” and Romans 3:10&11, “¶As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”
God’s just Judgment (John 12:48 “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” and Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”).
God’s Salvation (2Co 6:2 “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.)”),
God’s sanctification (1Thessalonian 4:3 “¶For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”), and service (Romans 12:1&2, “¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.“
On the other hand, the Literal-Grammatical-Historical hermeneutic, which claims that the Bible is written plainly and is easily understandable that anyone can understand because it only follows the normal rules of human communication, will only lead to confusion, stumbling, and wrong doctrines when it comes to understanding things like election, predestination, the role and means of water baptism, dispensations, and the end times, etc. For more background on this extremely important differences between the two hermeneutics, please see “the Refutation of the Literal-Grammatical-Historical Hermeneutic“.
Moreover, additional rules have been created that stipulate that we are not to “read into” a verse any more understanding beyond that which the people at the time would have understood the verses to mean (when those verses were first written).
Other “principles” being taught today declare, “Don’t look for allegories in the Old Testament Narrative” and more dogmatically, “Only two percent of the Old Testament is Messianic.” The problem with such humanly crafted and taught rules of Biblical interpretation, and why such rules are so insidious, is that, for the most part, they actually place mental and spiritual “blinders” on the reader, by limiting the reader to see only the earthly historical and moral lessons of the Bible. While the lessons thus drawn can certainly be valid and profitable (as they can be fine, proper, and useful just as we read in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”), the extra restrictions imposed by the “Literal-Grammatical-Historical” method are such that the reader will actually miss the most important and key and Heavenly spiritual meaning from the Bible, and hence will not be able come to know, and have, a true understanding. That understanding shows how magnificently and perfectly the Bible was actually crafted by God to reveal the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Humanly crafted and taught rules effectively set limits (boundaries) to what The Infinite Creator and Supreme Omnipotent God could be saying to us in the Bible.
Such rules thus lower God to man’s earthly level, rather than exalting and glorifying God at the supernatural Heavenly/Spiritual level from which He Reigns.
Those rules prevent us from seeing that Jesus Christ is the Key of Knowledge, supernaturally interwoven through every portion of the Bible! Anyone who tells you otherwise is like the blind lawyers of Jesus’s day that we read about in Luke 11:52, “¶Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” Moreover, in Matthew 15:14, we are admonished to “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (and the ditch is an allegorical reference to Hell).
Whether or not that misdirection is a conscious or unconscious goal of those who teach and preach the Literal-Grammatical-Historical method of Bible interpretation does not matter, as the result will still be the same. The reader thus taught will have become biased/prejudiced, such that it will prevent the reader (e.g., spiritually blind him or her) from ever understanding the Bible from a higher order perspective as was eternally ordained by The Author, Who perfectly crafted God’s Word, the Bible…and that Author is God Himself through the power of His Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost. So the question is, should we read and interpret the Bible as taught by men?… or as taught by God?
Here’s what the Bible has to say on the subject…In 1 Corinthians 2:13-14, we read “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man (everyone in the unsaved state) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.” Key to this passage is “comparing spiritual things with spiritual things”…and given that the Bible is Holy, and entirely inspired by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, then that statement is telling us that that we should be comparing Biblical scripture with Biblical scripture to gain God’s Wisdom (which is actually coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ).
The Bible is its own interpreter, its own dictionary, its own Wikipedia! It is easy to think that a certain word or phrase has an obvious and clear meaning, but the issue is what does the Bible really mean by these words? The only correct answer to that question is to compare verses with other verses and see how the Bible defines its own terms. The Bible alone should limit our thinking about the words and phrases in the Bible. We must learn to abide by the Bible’s definitions and logic.
Anyone who claims to have knowledge from the Bible had better not be quoting men, but rather they had better be quoting scripture alone…but even then, you, dear reader, had better be checking out what those preachers and teachers are quoting for yourself, from the Bible alone, as the Bereans did in the first century in Acts 17:10&11, and earnestly search “the scriptures (the Bible) daily, whether those things were so.”
This “Bible Study Guide” will further elaborate on only a portion of what God, Who Is the Author of the Bible, provides for those whom He graciously blesses with the “eyes to see”, and “the ears to hear” such that they might testify of Jesus and worship God in the spirit of prophesy. See also: https://bereansearching.com/2021/12/29/the-hearing-ear-and-the-seeing-eye/
Chapter 2: The Mystery of the Gospel: The Whole Bible Points to Jesus Christ, The “Word”
In Proverbs 25:2 (KJV) we find this extraordinary verse, “[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.” If we look carefully at the text as it reads in the original Hebrew using an Interlinear Bible or Online cross-reference like this: http://biblehub.com/text/proverbs/25-2.htm, we find that it can also read like this…”[It is] the glory of God to conceal a “word” (because it is from the Hebrew דָּבָר (dāḇār)H1697, a masculine noun): but the honour of kings[is] to search out a “word” (because the word that was translated into English as “matter” is also the same word found in the original Hebrew to be דָּבָר (dāḇār) H1697, which is translated more than eight hundred times in the Old Testament as “word.”)*. It appears, therefore, that God is telling us that He is glorified by the concealing of The Word (Jesus Christ) in the Bible, and the believers are “honored” by being made able to search out The Word (Who is Jesus Christ) when reading the Bible.
NOTE: Jesus makes all believers “kings” and “priests”, as we read in Revelation 1:5&6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” This is reiterated in Revelation 5:10, where we see from the preceding verses that Jesus, as the Lamb of God, has redeemed the believers by His shed blood, “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Note how this is also consistent with what we read in Job 36:7 when speaking of God regarding the believers, “He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings [are they] on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.“
And in 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”
Ephesians 2:4-7, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.“
“Dāḇār” is also found in other key verses:
- Note what is found in Proverbs 16:20 where the King James Version translation reads, “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good:…” but in the original Hebrew it reads, “He who heeds wisely unto the word (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697 shall find good…”
- And in Psalm 56:10 we read (as also translated in the King James Version), “In God will I praise his word (דָּבָ֑ר (“dabar”))H1697: in the Lord will I praise his word (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697.”
- And in Psalm 33:6 we read, “By the word (דָּבָר (dāḇār)) of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”
- And in Psalm 145:5, “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works (actually “words” (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697 in the original Hebrew).“
Through the use of this Bible Study Help it is hoped that the reader will, by the grace of God, come to know The Word, the Lord Jesus Christ [Remember that we read in John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” and in John Chapter 1, verse 14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”]. In 1 John 1:1 we find, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;” And to make the connection between Jesus (the Son of God) and the Word as unmistakable as possible, we read in 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
It is also hoped that the reader might see that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the “Mystery”, and that Jesus Christ is the “Secret” and the “Hidden Wisdom” of the whole Bible that everyone, Jew or Gentile, so desperately needs for salvation from sins and eternal life with God in Heaven.
Chapter 3: The Key to Biblical Understanding: We Must See Jesus!
Anyone earnestly seeking for truth in the Bible must ultimately come to the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, for Jesus is, according to John 14:6, “the way, the truth and the life.” In John 5:39, we read where Jesus was admonishing the Jews and said, “Search the scriptures (only the Old Testament in that day); for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and theyare they which testify of me.”(The “me” being Jesus Christ Himself!)
It is most certainly true that many places in the New Testament speak plainly concerning the loving Gospel of Grace through Jesus Christ: about His suffering and death on the cross as the only acceptable, and therefore perfect, sacrifice/peace offering to God for sin; about His resurrection and exaltation at the Right Hand of God The Father; about His building His church by the power of God the Holy Spirit, and about His return to Judge the unsaved of the world on the Last Day to an eternity in Hell, and to create a new heaven and a new earth for His Eternal Kingdom prepared for those whom He came to seek and to save. HOWEVER, the diligent Bible student should also be aware of the greater portion of scripture that is the Old Testament where that same message is often veiled in “a mystery” (and it is most certainly not limited to only two percent). The Bible itself uses such terms “mystery” and “parable” to explain how it has been uniquely crafted by God in a magnificent, and yes, even a mysterious supernatural way, to serve God’s purposes. In Mark 4:11+12 we read, “And he (Jesus Christ speaking to His disciples) said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.” It is my prayer that all who God has called to read this study guide, and the examples that follow, will be spiritually made alive and/or fed through the “hearing” of His Word (Romans 10:17, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“) that they might all know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
God commands us to both search and study the Bible (both the Old and New Testaments*) so that we might have eternal life. In John 5:39, Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me (Jesus Himself).” In 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.“
God provides some exemplar proofs for the validity of this typological hermeneutic, which has been applied in the expositions found in these accompanying Bible studies in the Bereansearching Blog. One proof can be found in the Book of Acts, Acts 8:26-35, “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” The focus was solely on Jesus!
This “Bible Study Guide” is primarily for the purpose of providing that exact same guidance, in that its focus is only to preach unto the reader Jesus. It might also be viewed as “strong meat” to those who desire to grow in the knowledge and understanding of the Word of God which is Jesus (See John 1:1&14). In Hebrews 5:13+14 we read, “For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Of course, in so doing, it will cover many of the more basic biblical principles as well.
Beginning with one of Jesus’s parables, this Bible Study Guide will establish the criteria by which a few familiar (hopefully) passages of Biblical scripture will later be reviewed to search for the higher order or “typological” meanings of those passages. Hopefully, in the process, the reader’s faith might be strengthened if already a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and, if not, that the reader might be blessed with that saving faith.
May all who read this Bible Study Guide be as the Greeks in John 12:20&21 that came up to the feast to worship and say, “we would see Jesus.”
*II Timothy 3:16+17, “All scripture[is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Chapter 4: The Bible Was Largely Written in Typological (Allegorical) Form
Contrary to what anyone may have previously told you, the Bible is, for the most part, not an easy book to read. Of course, it is true that the Gospel of salvation through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ alone is plainly stated in a number of New Testament passages, such as John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Nonetheless, to a very large degree, the rest of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, relies heavily on the more difficult “typology” (which, to be understood, requires Holy Spirit led comparison of scripture with scripture (“spiritual things with spiritual”) in accordance with God’s directive as found in 1 Corinthians 2:13).
Today, many theologians readily dismiss the idea that the majority of the Bible was written in typological/allegorical/symbolical or figurative form. When confronted with that truth, these same theologians will simply say that any such interpretations are fancifully derived, or even “fantastical”, and have no basis in reality and are therefore no more than figments of the interpreters’ imaginations.
The argument goes like this, “Interpreters who allegorize can be very creative, with no control based in the text itself. It becomes easy to read one’s own beliefs into the allegory and then think that they have scriptural support.”
However, the fact that God uses temporal/earthly/carnal “allegory,” “figures,” “shadows, “patterns,” “similitudes,” and “ensamples” (“typos” in Greek meaning “examples” or “types“) to convey eternal/heavenly/ spiritual truth (albeit many times in a veiled, mysterious, or secretive manner) is, nonetheless, plainly stated in the Bible as we find in:
Galatians 4:22-31, concerning the typology of the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael (born of the bondwoman, Hagar (Agar in Greek), typifying the result of fleshly works under the law) and Isaac (born of the freewoman, Sarah, typifying the result of Heavenly promise under grace). Galatians 4:24“Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.”
Romans 5:14, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.“
Hebrews 8:5, “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.“
Hebrews 9:8&9, “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;“
Hebrews 9:24, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:“
Hebrews 10:1, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.“
Colossians 2:16-17, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.“
Hebrews 9:23, “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.“
In 1 Timothy 1:16 we see how Paul was used of God as a “pattern” for a sinner saved by grace, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
Hosea 12:10, “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.”
1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (“typos” in Greek, meaning “types”): and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.“
Chapter 5: Understanding God’s Word, the Bible: God’s Word is a Mystery!
God the Holy Spirit Is The Means by Which “Parables” and “Dark Sayings” Are To Be Understood
In Psalm 78:1&2, God calls upon all believers to, “Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings* of old:” (yet immediately thereafter only a straightforward Biblical historical account is provided!) Why is that?…It is because the historical account itself is a parable (or riddle or allegory)…It points to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout time and space! And it was most certainly not written to be “plainly” understood.
In Proverbs 1:5&6, we read, “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” And in Psalm 49:3&4 we read, “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart [shall be] of understanding. I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.”
In 1 Corinthians 2 (the whole chapter) we learn more of the means of understanding God’s Holy Word, the Bible:
a) in verse 2, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
b) in verse 5, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.“
c) in verse 7+8, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew:…“
d) in verse 10, “But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.“
e) in verse 13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual.“
f) in verse 14, “But the natural man (everyone in the unsaved state) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.“
In John 6:63 we read, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.“
Remember, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus always spoke in “parables.” In Matthew 13:34 we read that:”All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret*** from the foundation of the world.” (and this is a reference back to the prophetic statement we find in Psalm 78:2, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:”)
Moreover, dear reader, please be aware that Job also spoke in a parable, as we are told in both Job 27:1 and Job 29:1. And a careful spiritual scrutiny of Job Chapter 28 makes clear that Job was serving as a “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ in that parable precisely as crafted by God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus explained to His disciples why He spoke in parables to the multitudes. In Mark 4:11&12, we read: “And he said unto them, Unto you (the elect) it is given to know the mystery** of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without (the non-elect), all [these] things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.“(God reiterates this explanation in Isaiah 6:9&10, John 9:39&40, and Acts 28:26-28… PLEASE read these verses to see the perfect reinforcement that they provide). This study on the hearing ear and seeing eye is helpful as well.
* From the Hebrew word חִידָה (ḥîḏâ) H2420 (also used as dark sentences or speech) meaning “hard question, riddle, enigma, or puzzle,” and is synonymous with the word “proverb” or “parable”. But “parable” itself is derived from Hebrew word “mashal” which has the meaning of a “metaphorical adage requiring mental action.” Ezekiel 17:2 tells us that a parable and a riddle are the same, “Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;“
** Note that in the New Testament, “mystery” derives from a Greek word μυστήριον (mystērion) G3466 that means something that is hidden, secret, a mystery, a hidden purpose or counsel of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men, but plain to the godly. Something which imposes silence by shutting the mouth. Note how this ties in with Ephesians 6:19 “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery G3466 of the gospel,” and Colossians 1:26 “[Even] the mysteryG3466 which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:“
*** The word “secret” here derives from a Greek word κρύπτω (kryptō) G2928, that means “to conceal or hide”.
Chapter 6: The Unveiling (Unlocking) of The Mystery is God’s Work Alone!
In 2 Peter 1:20&21, we are told, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.“, and in 2 Peter 2:1&2, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” These verses are saying that if anyone gives forth an interpretation out of their own intellect or from the carnal minds of others that have taught them, they are false teachers and the truth is not in them. (Even more ominous, they will receive the greater condemnation from God for that sin.) But how are we to know which interpretation is out of a man’s mind as opposed to what God is really saying? God provides us the answer, out of His Word, the Bible, as follows:
The Bible is a spiritual book. Referring again back to I Corinthians 2:13, we read, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.“ And we know from II Samuel 23:2, “The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word [was] in my tongue.” Clearly the word of God, the Bible, is spiritual, as it was written under the direction of the Holy Spirit. So if we want to learn the true meaning of any verse, then we need to compare scripture with scripture (spiritual things with spiritual). Furthermore, any revelation of truth from God’s word (which can only come through the use of this methodology) is solely the work of the Holy Spirit. That is why in I John 2:27 we read, “But the anointing (of the Holy Spirit) which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” This is entirely consistent with what we read in John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” See also John 15:26–27, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
Note that in John 14:17 that we also read, “[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” and in 1 John 4:6, “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit oferror.”)
The Gift of the Holy Spirit is Required
The Bible requires spiritual insight to understand it. That faculty is only obtained as a Gift from God, through the indwelling (or anointing) of His Holy Spirit, The “Spirit of Truth“. That action is God’s alone, and is synonymous with the Gift of salvation (Acts 5:32, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and [so is] also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.“). Just as salvation is a Gift of God (Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:“) so are our spiritual eyes and ears a Gift of God (because we have His Spirit in us witnessing to our spirit). That is why we read in Proverbs 20:12, “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.” We must have been given the wisdom of God, by God. (James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.“) This will come when we are truly seeking Him (because He first sought us, see John 6:44) and fear (have reverential awe of) Him. We are told in Psalms 111:10 that, “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom:“, and in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.” The more we study God’s word, the Bible, the more, by God’s grace, our faith grows and the spiritually wiser we can become. In Romans 10:17, we find that, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Furthermore, in Isaiah 50:4, we read, “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to [him that is] weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” (This is also consistent with Psalms 40:5&6, “Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.”…and immediately following in verses 7-9, the messianic verses talk about Jesus coming in the volume of the book (the Bible) and His fulfilling work and finishing sacrifice as the sole means by which only we can hope to obtain God’s Salvation.)
Side Note: It is quite interesting to find in Exodus chapter 31, when God looked for a man of wisdom and understanding and knowledge, that God told Moses the following starting in verse 2:
“See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: 3 and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5 and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.”
God called the man and and God filled the man with His Holy Spirit in order for that man to have “wisdom” and “understanding” and “knowledge” to do the service of the Lord in the building of God’s Holy Habitation (represented by the earthly tabernacle). It is a parable that we must heed, because, just as we are told in Psalms 127, verse 1: “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it, except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” That house (and city) represents the Church, as Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 , “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
BTW…Bezaleel (which means in the shadow of God; i.e., “under his protection”), the son of Uri (which means “my light”), the son of Hur (no known definition, but from the Bible (Exodus 17:10-12) we know that Hur was the only other person to accompany Moses and Aaron up the hill and helped Aaron in supporting Moses’ arms), of the tribe of Judah (meaning “Praised” and Jesus was from the tribe of Judah ). We see therefore that Bezaleel ultimately represents the Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapter 7: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Mystery and Hidden Wisdom, Kept Secret Since the World Began
Since Proverbs 1:20-23 (“Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.“) and 1 Corinthians 1:30 describes Jesus Christ as Being Wisdom,(“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:“). Then in 1 Corinthians 2:7 (“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:“) is really saying,”We speak Jesus Christ in a mystery.” This is a repetition of 1 Cor. 1:18 (“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.“), which says that those who are perishing (the unsaved) do not truly understand Jesus is the Savior they need. Those who are saved do know who He is, for they see Him in the Bible (John 5:39, where Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.“).
To confirm that this is not man’s interpretation but God’s, all we have to do is look at Romans 16:25, which reads, “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,“. Additional support is found in Colossians 2:2&3, where we read, “… to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God (God the Holy Spirit, Who reveals the mystery), and of the Father (God the Father), and of Christ (God the Son, Jesus); In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” The believers can see how God pre-figured Jesus and salvation through Him alone in all the Old Testament historical accounts (doing the Will of God the Father by the Power of the Holy Spirit). Such examples can be found when we look at the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Barak, Boaz, David, Mordecai, Nehemiah, Jonah, Job, etc. However, for the rest (the non-elect unsaved who are spiritually blind), such wisdom is “hidden,” because God hides the truth of the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ from them (God leaves them in their blindness!). This is made unmistakably clear in 2 Corinthians 4:3, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:“
It should also be noted that at the very end of time the mystery of God will be finished (fulfilled) as we read in Revelation 10:7, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.“
It should also be noted that the Book of Revelation begins with the words, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:“. A few verses later, in Revelation 1:8, Jesus declares that, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.“
The Book of Revelation is God’s revealed summary testimony of the previously veiled gospel plan to glorify Himself through Jesus Christ’s victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell. He reviews His loving, gracious gospel plan to make ready a people (His Church) to worship Him in spirit and in truth. It emphasizes that the consummation of this already effectuated gospel plan will take place very soon in the historical time context.
Where is Wisdom Found?
In Job 28 we read of Job’s “parable” (Yes, Job spoke in a “parable”, see: Job 27:1 and Job 29:1) regarding where Wisdom can be found…Job 28:12 &13, raises the question, “But where shall wisdom be found? and where [is]the place of understanding?Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.” This is reiterated in Job 28:20&21,”Whence then cometh wisdom? and where [is] the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.” Note that it is “hid” from the eyes of all living…it is hidden from all of mankind…EXCEPT to those God chooses to reveal. Those are God’s chosen, the elect of God!
God Knows Where Wisdom Is Found and He Declares It to Mankind
Regarding “Wisdom”, in Job 28:23 we read, “God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, [and] seeth under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.“
Chapter 8: Diligently Seeking and Searching for Jesus Christ
In the Introduction to this paper it was shown how God makes it clear that we are to seek Him, and seek Him diligently. In Proverbs 2:1, we read where God says, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”
Note well this correlates with what we find in Job 28:14-19 describing Wisdom, “The depth saith, It [is] not in me: and the sea saith, [It is] not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed [for] the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it [shall not be for] jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.“
We saw in the previous section that in Jesus Christ are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Therefore, to seek out wisdom is to seek out Jesus Christ. Furthermore, I Peter 1:10 tells us that seeking out and searching for Jesus is finding salvation and vice-versa, “Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seekhim.“
Additional verses that speak to the issue of diligently seeking for Jesus include:
Psalms 119:2, Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies, [and that] seek him with the whole heart.“
Jeremiah 29:13, “And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.“
Isaiah 55:6, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:“
In Acts 17:27, we read that on Mars’ hill, in Athens, Paul informed the Greeks that God had determined for all mankind, “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:” Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” But also remember that we will never truly seek Him unless He first seeks for us, as we read in John 6:44, where Jesus says, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.“
Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.“
For additional insights on what it means to have spiritual ears and eyes to hear and see what God has wrought, please see: https://bereansearching.com/2021/12/29/the-hearing-ear-and-the-seeing-eye/
Chapter 9: Jesus Christ is “The Secret”
In Amos 3:7 we read, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” A few Bible students (including this author) have erroneously referred to this verse to argue that God will reveal the timing of Jesus’s return on Judgment Day to the believers because of the context of the preceding verse, “Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done [it]?,” (which clearly does relate to the warning of the Judgment to come). However, we know that Jesus Christ is the personification of the Word of God. He and His Gospel of Grace must, therefore, be the primary focus of this verse. Could Jesus Christ be “the Secret” whom God reveals through His word, the Bible? The word translated as “secret” (note that it is in the singular) is from the Hebrew word סוֹד (sôḏ)H5475 in Strong’s Concordance. Let’s look at a few other verses where this same word is found:
Job 15:8, “Hast thou heard the secret סוֹד (sôḏ)H5475of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?” (Job (who is another type of Jesus Christ) did hear the “Secret” of God, the “Secret” is the word of God Who is Jesus Christ. Please see Matthew17:5.)
Psalm 25:14, “The secret סוֹד (sôḏ)H5475of the LORD [is] with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant” Jesus is with those that fear God; He makes known to them His everlasting covenant which is His gospel of grace.
Proverbs 3:32, “For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but his secret סוֹד (sôḏ)H5475[is] with the righteous.“
Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel (סוֹד (sôḏ))H5475 purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” The word translated as “counsel” is the same word translated above as “secret,” and so we can see that without Jesus Christ there is only failure, much as we read in: Psalm 127:1, “{A Song of degrees for Solomon.} Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain.”
Ezekiel 13:9, “And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of (סוֹד (sôḏ))H5475 my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord GOD.” Again the word translated “in the assembly of” is the same word for “secret.” Therefore, unless a prophet is in Christ, he will see only vanity (and not Jesus Christ), and he is a false prophet, and God’s hand of judgment will be upon him.
Psalm 64:2, “Hide me from the secret counsel (סוֹד (sôḏ))H5475 of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:” Clearly, we don’t want to fall prey to false Christs (see Matthew 24:24).
Chapter 10: Jesus Christ is the “Wonderful” Secret
In Judges 13:9-14, we read where the “angel” (messenger) of the Lord appeared to the mother and father of Samson. There can be little doubt that this “angel” was actually the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who had at times appeared in human form to saints of Old Testament times (Genesis 14:18, Genesis 32:30, and Judges 6:22).
Verses 18 and 22 indicate that this messenger was Jesus. Judges 13:18, “And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it [is] secret?”
Judges 13:22, “And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.” The word “secret” in verse 18 is translated from the Hebrew word (פִּלְאִי (pil’î ))H6383 which can also be translated as “wonderful” as we find in Psalm 139:6, “[Such] knowledge [is] too wonderful (pilee) for me; it is high, I cannot [attain] unto it.” It is also derived from the prime root word פָּלָא (pālā’) H6381 and closely linked to the companion word פֶּלֶא (pele’)H6382 that are also both translated as “wonderful,” or “wondrous.”
In Isaiah 9:6, God declares in this well known prophesy of the first coming of Jesus Christ that, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful (פֶּלֶא (pele’)H6382), Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father*, The Prince of Peace.“
*NOTE the intimacy between Jesus and The everlasting Father that is reiterated later in: John 14:9, “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?” John 10:30, “I and [my] Father are one.” 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.“
It is not surprising therefore that we read in:
Psalm 119:129, “Thy testimonies [are] wonderful (פֶּלֶא (pele’)H6382: therefore doth my soul keep them.
Psalm 119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous (פָּלָא (pālā’)H6381) things out of thy law.”
Psalm 119:27, “Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous (פָּלָא (pālā’)H6381) works. (NOTE: The “angel” that appeared to Samson’s parents also did “wondrously” (פָּלָא (pālā’)H6381) in Judges 13:19.)
The prayer of all mankind should be that God might deal “wonderfully” with them and grant them the eyes to see the Person of Jesus Christ in the scriptures of the Bible; to understand or know Jesus Christ (Who is “the Way”) as Savior and Lord; to talk of, or declare, the gospel of salvation effectuated by the work of Jesus Christ; and, in Christ, to keep (desire to be obedient to) Jesus’ commandments.
Joel 2:26, “And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously (פָּלָא (pālā’)H6381) with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.“
Chapter 11: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Hidden From the Non-Elect
The Old Testament is replete with examples of how God prevents the non-elect from seeing the Spiritual Truth and Wisdom that are reserved for the Elect of God, Jesus’ Eternal Church.
One example can be found in Isaiah 29:10-12, which is primarily a testimony by God against the prophets, seers, and rulers (the Priests and Pharisees, the “learned ones”) who during the Old Testament era claimed to understand the word of God, the Bible, but who really had no understanding at all. Today also, in the New Testament era (when so many new Bible translations/interpretations have become available that have tampered with God’s Word) many theologians, academicians, and religious leaders who claim to have an understanding of the Bible, nonetheless lack the spiritual insight to separate truth from error whereby they preach a “false gospel”. To all of them, this “book” is still “sealed,” even though they may be “learned” men. They neither desire nor seek righteousness by grace through Jesus Christ alone, but rather by their own efforts, through the keeping of the Law or pursuing and pushing a “false gospel” using false doctrines”. We have, for example, some who are called “dispensationalists”, who claim that there is more than one Gospel, as though the Jews are still under a works gospel and the Gentiles under grace. Such thinking identifies them as “false prophets”, and the Light of Christ is not in them. They do not have the Holy Spirit to guide them to the Truth (Jesus Christ) that leads to eternal life. They are “spiritually blind” and therefore still dead in their sins and under the wrath of God. Such false teachers will all be destroyed in Hell on Judgment Day. Matthew 15:14 makes clear that we are to, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” The ditch (or pit) is a Biblical metaphor for Hell. See also the Sealed Book.
In Proverbs 25:2 we read, “[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing(“word,” thus: Jesus Christ): but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter (“word,” thus: Jesus Christ).” The word translated as “conceal” is from the Hebrew word סָתַר (sāṯar) H5641 in Strong’s Concordance. It is the same word as found just above in Psalm 64:2 that is translated as “hide.” It can also be translated as “secret,” as is found in: Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children for ever, that [we] may do all the words of this law.“
In Isaiah 45:15 we read, “Verily thou [art] a God that hidest (סָתַר (sāṯar)) H5641 thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.” This is why the prayer of the believer is found in Psalm 27:9, “Hide (סָתַר (sāṯar)) H5641 not thy face [far] from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.” and Psalm 119:18&19, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. I [am] a stranger in the earth: hide סָתַר (sāṯar)) H5641 not thy commandments from me.” and in Psalm 143:7, “Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide סָתַר (sāṯar)) H5641 not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit (Hell).
The New Testament provides additional insight into this issue of God, and His “secret things“, being hidden from all those except the believers (the “elect”* of God…those whom He Wills to save). In Luke 10:21-24, we read, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and [he] to whom the Son will reveal [him]. And he turned him unto [his] disciples, and said privately, Blessed [are] the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen [them]; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard [them].“
In John 14:21 Jesus states that, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest (from the Greek ἐμφανίζω (emphanizō) G1718 meaning to “disclose”, “reveal,” “declare plainly”, or “make known” ) myself to him.”
For the believers, God makes His words (the Bible) “plain”, as we find in Proverbs 8:8, “All the words of my mouth [are] in righteousness; [there is] nothing froward or perverse in them. They [are] all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.” For the non-elect, God’s words are “hidden”. 2 Corinthians 4:3 states, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Ephesians 3:9, “And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” Colossians 1:25, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest (made known or revealed)to his saints:” Colossians 2:2, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.“
*NOTE: Regarding the issue of election, remember that Jesus also prayed in John 17:9, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.” While it is correct to understand that Jesus was referring specifically to His disciples at that point, we later read in the same chapter, in John 17:20, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” For more on this issue, please read Romans, chapter 9, particularly verses 11-24; and Romans, chapter 11, particularly verses 5-8.
Chapter 12: “The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesy” (as Guided by The “Spirit of Truth”)
We also learn that if anyone is a true prophet (one who is declaring God’s word faithfully), then certain criteria must also be met. All true believers, who are today’s the true prophets, must have the testimony of Jesus Christ, and no one else. That is why we read in Revelation 19:10, “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” You see the Bible is the word of God, and Jesus Christ is both God and the Word made flesh (See particularly John 1:1 and John 1:14). Revelation 19:13 reiterates this point, “And he (Jesus Christ) [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his (Jesus’s) name is called The Word of God.” Note also that in John 15:26, Jesus told His disciples, “But when the Comforter (the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit) is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify ofme (Jesus Christ):” and also John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.“
Chapter 13: The Whole Bible (That Begins With the Entire Old Testament) is About Jesus Christ and God’s Salvation Plan Through Him Alone! That is the True Gospel of Grace! God Makes This Point Clearly and Unequivocally in the New Testament!
In John 5:39, we read where Jesus was admonishing the Jews and said, “Search the scriptures (only the Old Testament in that day); for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and theyare they whichtestify of me(Jesus Christ). In John 5:45&46, we read, “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is [one] that accuseth you, [even] Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.” Also in Hebrews 10:7 where God explains Psalms 40:7 (“Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book [it is] written of me“) as saying that the book (the Bible) is talking about Jesus Christ, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.” The “me” is all the above is unequivocally referring only to Jesus Christ!
Remember also in Luke 24:27 where Jesus, after His resurrection, was walking on the road to Emmaus with the two companions who did not recognize Him. There we read, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Later on, in verses 30-32, we read of Jesus braking bread and giving it to the two disciples, “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed [it], and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?.” We see this repeated again later in verses 44 & 45: “And He (Jesus) said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,”
This point is also reiterated in Acts 3:18, “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.” Again in Acts10:43, we read where the Apostle Peter declared, “To him (Jesus Christ) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” In John 1:45 we read where, “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Finally, in Romans 1:1-3, we read, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”. And remember that this is referring back one thousand years to when God was prophetically speaking to king David in 2 Samuel 7:12-14, ” ¶And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:“
We can see, therefore, that effectively the entire Bible has been precisely crafted by God, by His Holy Spirit, into one cohesive, consistent whole, from beginning to end and was written as a “parable,” in that only if God has given the reader “eyes to see” can the Bible truly be understood and applied to his heart, otherwise the Word remains hidden to that individual. It is the only way to “hear” Him (see Matt. 17:5). Because this is so, we can also see how it should be possible to “see” the Lord Jesus Christ (He is both the Word and Wisdom) on each and every page, whether it be in the New, or Old, Testament. In I Corinthians 13:12, we read, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.“
Remember how Jesus taught in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” and that John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Colossians 4:3, “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:” and in Matthew 7:13, Jesus also spoke these words, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Finally, in John 6:44, Jesus explicitly told us that, “No man can come to me, exceptthe Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Jesus emphasized this later in John 6:65, “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.“
Chapter 14: The New Testament Speaks Plainly of the Gospel (“Good News”) of Jesus Christ, Which Previously Had Been Veiled in the Old Testament
In 2 Corinthians 3:1 -18, we read how God compares the New Testament to the Old Testament. We see a clear comparison between the glorious gospel of grace (for both Jew and Gentile!) through Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life that is openly revealed by the Spirit through “great plainness of speech” to the gospel of works by man that can only lead to condemnation and eternal death, but which was nonetheless glorious because it pointed to Jesus Christ in a veiled manner and which veil was removed by the person and completed work of Jesus Christ. “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: [Forasmuch as ye are] manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, [which] put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [veil] is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.“
Conclusion
The conclusion of the matter is, only if (by the grace of God, alone) we have the Holy Spirit indwelling in our hearts (because we are called and chosen by God, and are therefore spiritually raised from the dead…and hence are “born again” by the Spirit), then our spiritual eyes and ears can be opened to the hidden Truth of God (in concurrence with being given the necessary faith hope and love and the desire to be obedient to Him!). Because that Truth is of God, and about God…then “spiritual” discernment (not carnal, earthly, human) is required. In Romans 7:14 we read, “For we know that the law (the whole word of God, the Bible) is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.“
Therefore, only if we are being guided by God the Holy Spirit, as a Gift according to God’s Sovereign Will and Good Pleasure, and by God’s Grace Alone, using the process of prayerfully searching and comparing scripture with scripture (comparing spiritual with spiritual) within the context of the whole Bible, can the veil be removed, such that we can begin to see Jesus Christ and His work of salvation for His people that God has inextricably interwoven throughout all His word, the Bible. Jesus really is the Child of Promise and The Way, The Truth, and The Life. May all who read this be as the Greeks in John 12:20&21 that came up to the feast to worship and say, “we would see Jesus.”
And please, dear reader, never forget that “Salvation is of the Lord” (Please see the study of Jonah), and “salvation” means being saved from the just penalty for one’s sins, and that penalty would, apart from salvation, require an eternity in Hell come Judgment Day.
Appendix A: Understanding Parables: A Biblical Proof-Text for Typological Interpretation
In Mark 4:10 we read that Jesus, when He had just finished telling the parable of the Sower, was asked by His disciples what the parable meant; “And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.” In Mark 4:13, Jesus gave the following response, “And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?“
Why did Jesus imply that His disciples should have known what the parable meant? Could they have known before Jesus explained it to them? Also, He indicated that if they did know the meaning of this parable, then they would be able to know the meaning of all parables. What did that mean?
When we do a word study of the Parable of the Sower, using a concordance such as Strong’s or Young’s, comparing scripture with scripture (comparing spiritual things with spiritual things); we find that if we search just the Old Testament (the only scriptures available at the time of Christ) we can derive essentially the same meaning of the parable as Jesus gave His disciples. By applying the same principles to the rest of the Bible, trusting God’s Word, by faith, being led by the Holy Spirit, we ought to be able to learn the meaning of “all” parables.
However, please remember that the information in this Bible Study Guide is not to be viewed as some kind of a cookbook “recipe,” by which we can automatically come to truth. God is Sovereign, and in complete control of the revelation of saving truth from His Word, the Bible. Intellectual knowledge will never save anyone (it could actually add to greater condemnation). May we never be as those God describes in II Timothy 3:7, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (Remember also that Jesus is The “Truth”)
POSTSCRIPT:
The point of this study is intended is to instruct the reader regarding the truth of how the Bible is crafted by God to reveal the spiritual Truth, which involves allegories, types, and shadows, which all consistently point to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that spiritual level of understanding, which is only possible with the Gift of God the Holy Spirit, cannot be perceived with carnal eyes.
The events recorded in the Bible are not myths or legends upon which the gospel message is derived. All of the historical events recorded (including all of the Old Testament narratives) are literal, and can be trusted as true facts. From those historical facts we can derive moral lessons. The Bible also contains specific laws and codes of conduct that provide the best means to govern and benefit human society. The framers of the United States Constitution wisely drew heavily on those lessons and laws. The proverbs teach us valuable moral lessons. While such lessons will certainly benefit anyone in this temporal earthly life, neither a knowledge of biblical historical facts, or biblical morality through obedience to God’s laws, will bring that person to salvation. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all of the historical events, moral lessons, and Levitical laws and ordinances, which are all only temporal/earthly “types” and “shadows,” and therefore have no lasting substance in themselves. The historical events that are found in the Bible, which are all factual and actually occurred, were precisely recorded/inscribed crafted by God, The Holy Spirit, in the Bible to convey spiritual truth, and are all, therefore “historical parables”.
The majority of the Bible (both the Old and New Testaments) contains these historical parables, and, in one way or anothe, all of them point to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ We know from Proverbs 1:5 that, “A wise [man] will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.” And Jesus spoke in parables so that those who only had carnal eyes, would see and not perceive, and moreover, in John 3:12, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you [of] heavenly things?“
Therefore, only if we are being guided by God the Holy Spirit, as a Gift according to God’s Sovereign Will and Good Pleasure and by God’s Grace Alone, using the process of prayerfully searching and comparing scripture with scripture (comparing spiritual with spiritual) within the context of the whole Bible, can the veil be removed, such that we can begin to see Jesus Christ and His work of salvation for His people that God has inextricably interwoven throughout all His word, the Bible. Jesus really Is the Child of Promise and The Way, The Truth, and The Life. May all who read this be as the Greeks in John 12:20&21 that came up to the feast to worship and say, “we would see Jesus.”
Eternal salvation is only a Gift of Grace by God obtainable through the hearing of, and responding repentant faith in, the Gospel of Jesus Christ for God’s purpose to build up the Eternal Church, the Kingdom of God.
In 1 Peter 4:11 we read, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen“.
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