Dialogue For and Against the Typological/Allegorical Method of Biblical Understanding
The following is derived from a series of recent communications between a representative adherent to the Literal-Grammatical-Historical hermeneutic and this representative of the Typological/Allegorical hermeneutic, which has has been elaborated and illustrated on the https://bereansearching.com website.
It is hoped that it will be enlightening and edifying to all who are interested in both 1) Biblical Hermeneutics and 2) the basis for their variances, which are also discussed further here in this post.
Interlocutor (representing the Literal-Grammatical-Historical Biblical Interpretation Viewpoint)
In https://bereansearching.com/2009/09/19/the-battle-of-armageddon-the-earthly-version-already-happened/, I can certainly see how Barak foreshadows Christ, and the victory over Sisera anticipates Christ’s ultimate victory over the devil and all his works. I appreciate any approach to Scripture that sees Christ as the central theme. Also, the article contains several valuable word studies. Where we differ is the allegorization of every detail of the Old Testament stories and the symbolic interpretation of Revelation.
The Bereansearching website is devoted to a typological/allegorical interpretation of Scripture, which will disagree with (or at least find wanting) any studies derived using the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic. Given the website’s commitment to a different hermeneutic, we do not need to spend more time evaluating the expositions.
Response by BereanSearching.Com (making the case for the Typological/Allegorical Method of Biblical Interpretation)
I very much appreciate your taking the time to read the entire study of Judges 4&5.
I would only ask that if the word studies were valuable, that you please consider them for future reference going forward.
I am deeply sorry that there is no further interest in the other studies, such as Esther and Jonah, as I believe that there are insights of significant value there as well.
The section in the Judges 4&5 study, excerpted here, which shows how it could be proven from scripture (using the Typological/Allegorical hermeneutic) that “Abinoam” unequivocally represents “God The Father”, which has never been published anywhere on earth previously, at least to my knowledge. And that is why I offered it for your review and critique, as I was curious to hear your thoughts.
If it can be shown that anything in the study is in error, then please tell me how it is in error? If it is correct, then how is it that the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic cannot provide the same derivation? Does this study, or any of the others, glorify God or not? or do they cause anyone to stumble?
This is eternally serious business, and I only want to bring to light the full Truth of the scriptures that point to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Interlocutor
That’s the problem with a typological/allegorical hermeneutic, there is no way to point out an error. Typological/Allegorical interpretation is inherently subjective. When anything can refer to virtually anything, how could anything be proven to be incorrect unless it is explicitly incorrect?
Response by BereanSearching.com
My response is that the Typological/Allegorical method could be viewed as “subjective”, but only if the interpreter derives his claims apart from Biblical scripture…then yes, “anything” in the Bible can be twisted “to refer to virtually anything” that an interpreter wants it to mean. Bible interpretation becomes nothing more than individual opinion. Such interpretation is wresting scripture, which is condemned as we read in 2 Peter 3:16. But then that sin is entirely upon that person’s head for having derived it out of his or her’s own intellect and biases. The Bible is its own interpreter, and, therefore, any interpretation must be entirely supportable by the Bible alone, by itself, and not derived from any human’s carnal intellect or bias.
1 Corinthians 2:13&14 makes clear, “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 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.”
We are told to compare Holy Spirit Inspired Scripture (‘spiritual’) with Holy Spirit inspired Scripture (‘spiritual’). Moreover, we read in 1 John 2:27, “But the anointing 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.“ The anointing is of the Holy Spirit Who God the Father sent to the believers to lead them into all truth, and that Truth Is Jesus. 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.” Note the consistency with John 14:26, “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” and 1 John 2:20, “¶But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” (“unction” means “anointing”)
To claim that there is nothing more to scripture than that which is found only on the surface sets human limits upon The Almighty Sovereign God, and such a claim brings God down to humankind’s level. That is man’s wisdom.
The presumption would seem to be that God never crafts history into Historical Parables that point to God the Father’s Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, but are merely texts with surficial meanings as they appear only in the literal typeface, nothing more. Without realizing it, those who make such claims undercut, and belie, Jesus’s own exposition of Old Testament Scriptures as we find in the account on the Road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:27, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.) Please see the study on The Road To Emmaus.
The expositional Bible Studies provided on the https://bereansearching.com website, such as that provided in Ruth, Esther, Judges 4&5, Jonah, etc. are all self-validating using the Bible alone as the ONLY cross-reference. The studies are consistent and academically reproducible, if one only trusts that God Is The Author, and that the consistent theme is to glorify God by pointing to the Person and Redemptive/Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe that the expositions found on this website are entirely objective and irrefutable, as they were derived solely by searching out and comparing scripture with scripture (spiritual things with spiritual). Please search them out yourself, as a Berean, to see if this is a valid claim or not. Remember what Jesus said in John 5:39, where He was admonishing the Jews said, “Search the scriptures (only the Old Testament in that day); for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”(The “me” being Jesus Christ Himself!). And that brings us to the study on The Road to Emmaus.
IF at all possible, I would humbly ask that you not give up on this discussion, and please do take the time to review some other of the expositions and any errors that you might find i will address immediately and correct if necessary.
“Come let us reason together.“
Interlocutor
I am truly interested in your response to this. How am I, or anyone else, to judge a typological/allegorical interpretation of Deborah and Barak? How could I disprove that “this person represents this person, this person represents this other person, this event points to this other event, this event actually is talking about this”? None of that can be proven or disproven. Is it possible? Yes. Can it ever be conclusively demonstrated that it was God’s intent for the passage? No. You say the grammatical-historical-literal interpretation method limits God. I disagree. There are examples of God explicitly using allegory in Scripture (see Galatians 4:21-31). If God desires us to understand His Word, wouldn’t He inspire the authors of Scripture to write in a way that could be easily understood? In this conversation, are you not interpreting my words in a way that they would normally be understood? Following the “rules” of communication is essential to understanding what a person is saying. Could there be “hidden” and/or typological/allegorical meaning in Scripture? Yes. But does that mean we should abandon the rules of language and ignore what the text actually says? Absolutely not.
Response by BereanSearching.com
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to answer your questions.
The historical events and accounts in the Bible are indeed real, literal, and historical events that actually happened exactly as recorded in the Bible. So in that respect, the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic is therefore valid so far as it goes. However, the Bible makes clear that those events were both carefully crafted by God, and recorded by God by His Holy Spirit, to convey spiritual truths that are otherwise hidden if one casually reads the Bible at only a surficial, superficial, level…stopping at the “plain sense” as some have said. It makes it impossible to EVER find the hid treasures that God has concealed for His people. Rather, one should humbly pray the words of Psalm 119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.“
I sincerely believe that those who hold to the Literal-Grammatical-Historical hermeneutic are willfully self-blinding to the deeper spiritual information that God has hidden within the scriptures. To say that those deeper spiritual things are not there is the same as saying that God did not put that information there, and that they are therefore only figments of the mind of the interpreter (and in this case, this writer).
Please see more proof in “Searching the Bible for Hid Treasures“, particularly regarding the exegesis of the Hebrew word that was translated into English as “Pitch” (as was applied in the sealing of Noah’s Ark in Genesis 6:14). Anyone who adheres to the Literal-Grammatical- Historical method of Biblical interpretation WILL NEVER find that gem! (or perhaps even understand it when it is explained?)
1) So then, to answer your first question regarding whether it is possible to prove or disprove. I addressed this in the Judges 4&5 account. In discussing the “Types” provided by both Barak and his father Abinoam, the proof is provided. As was said earlier, the proof involved ONLY scripture with scripture to validate the “Types”. And yes they are indeed valid, as they are supported by the entire Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Please take a very careful look at the Abinoam “Type” derivation.
Also please take a look at the Character “Types” in Esther, as they are all based solely on Biblical scripture as the only cross-reference.
The Road to Emmaus exposition is most helpful with this as well. Jesus expounded out of Moses and all the prophets and the Psalms and all the scriptures concerning Himself. What was Jesus talking about? My studies seek to show how God is Glorified through the searching of the scriptures to see Jesus. John 5:39.
2) In answer to your second question:
“If God desires us to understand His Word, wouldn’t He inspire the authors of Scripture to write in a way that could be easily understood? In this conversation, are you not interpreting my words in a way that they would normally be understood? “
My short answer is NO!, God does not use the same rules of language that we use in our normal daily lives. Jesus explicitly stated that He spoke in parables deliberately such that only those with the Spiritual Eyes would see and understand. And why would Jesus speak in parables/riddles if what He was saying was meant to be readily understood by everyone? It is because Jesus never intended to save everyone.
Mark 4:10, “¶And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he 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.” Assuming that God wants to save everybody is simply wrong, regardless of one’s personal beliefs, because Jesus said so! See also (Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9,10 ).
The Word of God is also “ALIVE” and “reads the reader” Hebrews 4:12. No human rules of language can account for that!
Moreover 2 Corinthians 4:2-7 tells us, “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 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. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of JesusChrist. ¶But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.“
I provide the more complete explanation on WHY God hides information in the Bible in Chapters 4, 5, &6 in the Key of Knowledge Post.
I also speak to the need for the Holy Spirit to provide the insights in this exposition on the hearing ear and the seeing eye:
Finally, I also point out in Chapter 2 in the “Key of Knowledge Post:
“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.”
The Word of God is not surficial, or superficial, for the Believer. We are effectively told by God to search for wisdom (via the scriptures) like “hid treasures”. I pray to God before reading the Bible just what the Psalmist prayed in Psalm 119:18
What I have shared with you, and with the whole world, via the internet, are the “hid treasures” that God has allowed me to find. The purpose for doing this is spelled out carefully in my Introductory Post.
Ultimately, regardless of how well (or not) those discoveries are presented and published, it is only God, and God Alone, Who must open the eyes of the reader, and give them a heart to understand and accept. I just pray that God will bless the work found in https://bereansearching.com.
That’s it. I am open to any and all questions and comments that you might have, and it is my sincere prayer that you might be blessed through the reading of the studies.
Thank you again, and please let’s continue our reasoning together if at all possible.
Interlocutor
Can you appreciate the fact that we are not comfortable trying to find allegories behind passages that clearly have a normal meaning on their own? If Scripture, in the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic gives us so much we can learn and apply to our lives, why do we need to seek a typological/allegorical interpretation? And, if it is as you said, that all allegories must be backed by other Scriptures, why do we even need the allegories if we have the other Scriptures? And, don’t you find it strange that we must verify the accuracy of allegories by comparing them with passages that are interpreted with a literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic?
Response by BereanSearching.com
I appreciate all your efforts to continue our dialogue.
I have sincerely tried to answer all of your questions to the absolute best of my ability, with in-depth answers and cross references, and I hope that my responses along with the following will be helpful to you.
Regarding your questions:
1) Can you appreciate the fact that we are not comfortable trying to find allegories behind passages that clearly have a normal meaning on their own?
Yes, I can appreciate the fact that you are not comfortable identifying allegories that are not clear on the surface.
However, I find it quite interesting that the very “allegory” that you point out in Galatians chapter 4, wherein God (through the Apostle Paul) described the revelation of the two covenants, namely, that of the works of the flesh (man) and the works of Heavenly grace (God), is found in no other place in Scripture. Nowhere else are these two theological principles of the doctrine of works, over and against the doctrine of grace, explained, except through the use of allegory. No one, not the Pharisees of the Old Testament, or even the Jews today, could ever apply the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic to go back to the Ishmael and Isaac account and see any of that allegory or its meaning (or “prove” it)…and yet it is entirely true and the correct interpretation to which they are blind. God provided us with an “Historical Parable” and the interpretation of it, which effectively is a template for further Typological/Allegorical interpretation, and yet it is dismissed as being limited to this one instance.
2) If Scripture, in the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic gives us so much we can learn and apply to our lives, why do we need to seek a typological/allegorical interpretation?
The use of allegory is a God ordained principle used over and over. e.g., God is the Potter, we are the clay or “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman“., etc. None of Jesus’s parables were “plain” to those who heard them, that is why the disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables (hence, in a veiled manner). Matthew 13:10&11 “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”
And we know from Matthew 13:34, “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 BTW, this refers back to Psalm 78:2 “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:” But immediately following that verse, all that is provided are “historical” accounts. So where is the parable? Where are the dark sayings? The literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic has NO answer!
Should we not be like the Psalmist that says in Psalm 49:3&4, “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.”?
The understanding of the hidden meanings woven in the Scripture is for the edification of the true saints, and not in any way for modifying or contradicting the basic message.
3) And, if it is as you said, that all allegories must be backed by other Scriptures, why do we even need the allegories if we have the other Scriptures?
It was explained that if someone claims that there is allegory in a particular passage of scripture, then they must validate it entirely with scripture alone, because we are told in 1Corinthians 2:13 that we must compare “spiritual things with spiritual” which for us is “scriptural with scriptural”… “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.“
4) And, don’t you find it strange that we must verify the accuracy of allegories by comparing them with passages that are interpreted with a literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic?
Not entirely sure what you mean?, but the scriptures that are used to show how Abinoam represents “God The Father” are not interpreted, and simply CANNOT be interpreted, using the literal-grammatical-historical hermeneutic as the basis:
This is a portion of that proof: Abinoam means “father (abi) of beauty (noam)”
Zechariah 11:10-13*, “And I took my staff, [even] Beauty (Noam), and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it [was] the word of the LORD. And I said unto them, If ye think good, give [me] my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty [pieces] of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty [pieces] of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”
Note, specifically, that it was the “poor of the flock that waited on me” (the LORD)… AND it was the believers who knew that it was the Word of the LORD! The believers who wait upon God must “know” that it was Jesus who was cut asunder, and that the price paid by the chief priests was thirty pieces of silver, because Jesus is the Word made flesh as we read in John 1:14.” The literal-grammatical-historical cannot provide ANY insights on this connection, and its adherents can only say that this is some kind of coincidence, having no other validity whatsoever. If you are comfortable with saying that, then so be it.
Now that I have answered your questions, I have to say the following:
It is inconceivable to me how anyone could read the expositions such as that of Esther (and I mean too read it carefully in its entirety) and not stand absolutely amazed, and not rejoice and praise God for His mastery over all time and space in the perfect crafting and recording of the historical account of an actual period in history, recorded and written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that has been incorporated into God’s Word the Bible for the edification and consolation of His people. This is because that exposition perfectly mirrors, harmonizes with, and validates all that we know about God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan through the Person and Redemptive/Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ from the Bible. Perhaps just as significantly, the Book of Esther is also a book of Prophesy, because it culminates with a picture of Judgment Day at the end of creation and the eternity in Heaven that will follow for all who are counted among the people of Jesus… and the eternal death and destruction in Hell for all those who are not.
The Literal-Grammatical-Historical hermeneutic is entirely mute on this understanding.
The Conclusion of the Whole Matter
I have come to realize that trying to explain God’s amazing use of allegory throughout the Biblical Scriptures, pointing to the Person and Redemptive/Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God’s use of people, places, things, and, yes, even numbers in Typological/Allegorical parables, is much like trying to describe a rainbow’s colors and their vivid richness to someone who is color blind.
We can both see the shape of the rainbow, but no matter how hard a person tries to explain the different colors, the color blind can only see shades of gray.
The color blind person is saying that he sees the rainbow, and so therefore what difference does it make if he cannot discern the colors? Moreover, perhaps what is even worse in this case is that the color blind person is willfully color blind and has no interest in seeing the colors! Moreover, what is even be worse, is that perhaps the colorblind person does not even see the rainbow at all, because, sadly, that person is entirely blind, and just thinks that he has the capability to see!
Isaiah 42:1, “Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.“
John 9:39, “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Matthew 15:14, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.“
Seeing The Rainbow
And the rainbow is a particularly useful and apt analogy, because the Rainbow too is a Biblical “allegory”, as it is a physical creation of God, that is meant to serve as a memorial symbol of God’s Covenant of Grace that Glorifies God and Honors God though His Son, Jesus Christ…And make no mistake, because of that symbology, the likeness of the rainbow will be seen throughout all eternity in Heaven, as it will shine with all its colors around the throne and the head of The Lord Jesus Christ as we read in Revelation 4:3 and Revelation 10:1 Just as God Is The Only One Who can make it possible to physically see the colors of the rainbow, so too is it the same with spiritual eyes…exactly as it says in Proverbs 20:12.
Once again it is worth reviewing the post on The Hearing Ear and the Seeing Eye as it is not covered much elsewhere.
God makes plain in Isaiah 55:8&9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
We are told in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man 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.“
I would hope that you will carefully ponder all of the points made, humbly pray about them, and that you would take another careful look at the expositions on the Bereansearching blog and not harden your heart.
I have humbly told you the truth of what God’s Word is, and how I and others study it though the application of the typological/allegorical method of interpretation, and the amazing richness that it contains for the seeker.
If you want to know more, then I am willing to show you, but, otherwise, there is no benefit in our going any further.
The Reality
The reality is that there is only one true hermeneutic of the Scriptures, and this is because the Bible record consists of the historical context (true historical accounts), perfectly crafted and orchestrated by God to form “Historical Parables“, within which God has embedded and interwoven the full truth of the spiritual/gospel message which point to, and focus upon, the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ… Who is our ONLY means of salvation for our sins. The Literal-Grammatical-Historical hermeneutic, which claims that the Bible is written plainly and is easily understandable, 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, rapture, etc…as well not lead to the true meaning of the Books of Ruth, Esther, Judges 4&5, Jonah, Nahum, Jesus’s Parables, etc., …and notably also the Book of Revelation (which is so relevant in our day). I say this not to ridicule, but rather to instruct.
IF anyone really cares at all about knowing the Truth from the Bible, as God Himself ordained, I urge you to please read the expositions and prove for yourself once and for all who really has the true understanding.
But please do not take that to mean that the posts are a substitute for reading the Bible, as they are only a supplement to help with understanding.
Isaiah 34:16 admonishes us to, “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.”
The studies of some of Jesus’ parables such the Sower , the Talents, and the Good Samaritan, are useful for new understanding as well.
Key Points to Ponder
The Bible student must understand that, in all cases, a “True” understanding of Biblical “parables”, whether historical or illustrative (or even geographical), is entirely dependent on God Alone, through His Holy Spirit.
And be forewarned, just because someone is quite familiar with the Biblical scriptures, it does not in any way guarantee that he or she understands what the scriptures are really saying. When someone tells you that when reading the scriptures… “If the plain sense makes sense, then do not seek any other sense”, then they might just be like the ones described in Proverbs 26:7, “The legs of the lame are not equal: so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.” and Proverbs 26:9, “[As] a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so [is] a parable in the mouth of fools.” The Pharisees in Jesus day “knew the scriptures” very well, and Saul, who became Paul, was a Pharisee who “knew the scriptures” as well as any, and yet Saul was completely blind to the “Truth” (“Jesus“) of the scriptures until God opened his spiritual eyes.
May the reader be blessed with hearing ears and seeing eyes.
As Jesus said in Matthew 11:15, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Finally, for those who refuse to hear, we also read in Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?“
POSTSCRIPT: Numbers in the Bible Also Convey Spiritual Truth
Another way that the literal-grammatical-historical method of interpretation falls short is in the understanding of the numbers that God uses in the Bible. The Adherent to that method of Biblical interpretation will simply say, “Often a number in the Bible is simply a number. God does not call us to search for secret meanings, hidden messages, and codes in the Bible.”
This can quickly be proven to be false, because such an Adherent cannot begin to fathom the meaning of the following two lessons involving two significant numbers when using the literal-grammatical-historical methodology. The meanings will be completely lost in such casual reading. And please also remember that numbers are the only language which is universally understood, in the sense that it does not matter what language you speak, the numbers still have the exact same meaning. Ten is 10, and nothing else, in every tongue on earth.
Lesson #1) The 153 fishes caught in the net by the apostles
In John 21:11 “¶Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.” Remember what Jesus said in Mark 1:17 “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” (see also Matthew 4:19). Therefore the fishes spiritually represent mankind. Jesus said so! So then what does the number 153 represent? No, it is NOT just some random number indicating “a lot” of fish.
God instructs us to search out the Word of God like hid treasure. The number 153 is very significant but it takes time to search out the otherwise hidden meaning. The Number 153 breaks down like this: 3 x 3 x 17. The number 3 represents the purpose of God (as in the Trinity) and the number 17 (a prime number that cannot be broken down further) represents Heaven in the Bible.
Moreover, the number 17 is also particularly highlighted by the number 153 in another VERY unique manner. If we add 1 +2 +3 +4 +5…..+17 we find that the sum equals 153! So then the spiritual meaning that God has crafted into this account is that the Apostles, led by Peter, would bring in the souls of men by Jesus’s Words into Heaven. It strongly reinforces what Jesus said in Mark 1:17 while also telling us that Heaven is the purpose for fishing among mankind.
Lesson #2) The 276 souls saved in the shipwreck with Paul onto the island of Melita
We also know that the promised land (typifying Heaven) was frequently described in the Bible as a place flowing with “milk and honey”H1706. And it should be noted here that when Paul was shipwrecked, that the “certain island” that Paul prophesied about in Acts 27:26 was named Melita (now known as Malta) in Acts 28:1. Melita means “Honey” and it was also used in this event to portray “Heaven”… to where all 276 souls on the ship were saved, even though the ship (representing the corporate church just before judgment day) was destroyed. Some swam,”And the rest, some on boards, and some on [broken pieces] of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”
The ship was destroyed yet every soul was saved. That is the plain and simple understanding, so there is no argument there. But why was the number 276? Is there some kind of hidden meaning as in the case of the 153 fish? YES Indeed!
The number 276 breaks down like this 3 x 4 x 23. As indicated above the number 3 represents the purpose of God. The number 4 is universality (like the four points of the compass). The number 23 is another prime number than cannot be broken down further) and it represents the Final Tribulation, which occurs just before Judgment Day, when God’s wrath is poured out on the apostate church and the abomination of desolation takes over because God looses the devil as we read in Revelation 20:3&7.
And just as we learned above how the number 153 was unique, so too is the number 276 unique! This time the number 23 is highlighted in the same unique manner. If we add 1 +2 +3 +4 +5…..+23 we find that the sum equals 276! So then the spiritual meaning that God has crafted into this account is that the Jesus (represented by Paul as a “Type” of Christ) would bring into Heaven the souls of all the believers who were in the corporate body, but escape from the apostate church that God destroys in the Final Tribulation.
It strongly reinforces what Jesus said in Mark 1:17 while also telling us that Heaven is the purpose for fishing among mankind.
Conclusion Regarding the Meaning of Numbers
Both of these lessons show that numbers indeed do have important meanings, and sometimes they can have very unique meaning by which God can emphasize that meaning if GOD so desires. These two numbers were not included in the Bible by accident or happenstance. Moreover, these particular numbers were embedded within the context of two extremely important historical, and spiritual, Biblical accounts that each form an “Historical Parable“. Each number highlighted a particular prime number that has an important spiritual meaning, which conforms with the rest of each account, and which can be further verified by seeing how those prime numbers are consistently used throughout other portions of scripture to convey the same spiritual meanings.
*The Spirit of Truth
John 15:26, “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:
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.
1 John 5:6, “This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.“
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 of error.”
Proverbs 9:8, “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.“
Proverbs 13:1, “A wise son [heareth] his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.“
Proverbs 23:9, “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.“
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Tags: Allegory, Bible Hermeneutics dispensationalism refutation
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April 6, 2023 at 8:20 pm
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