The main purpose of this book is to not only point out that there are indeed metaphoric teachings within the Christian Bible, but to also show how we can actually trace these said metaphors right to the very beginning of time! Since the topic of metaphoric understandings will also be covered in two other books (in this three part topic within the Seeking the Everlasting Gospel teaching series − see page 4), the ‘beginning' will only be spoken on here, to show folks that this extraordinary idea can certainly be traced back a long, long way; especially since some people feel that metaphors, idioms, parables, and all such like similitude's, may have only come briefly into existence during the early church period − if at all! Or, if some folks have already figured that those things were in there to begin with, their thoughts will simply be strengthened. Finally, it’ll be pointed out, along with other ideas, the differences of both the natural and the spiritual camps of understanding of the Written Word of God. And, again, that will be accomplished by talking about the Beginning...

 

In the Beginning . . . God indeed created some wondrous and fantastic things, had He not? But, what exactly did God create? A literal, natural Heaven and Earth? Well, I for one think that there's no mistaking that God had created everything that our natural eye can see. For one to say that Genesis chapter 1 is a blueprint for the natural creation (that is, for all that we can scientifically observe), is a very good conclusion − one that's hard to dispute. In fact, there are a number of Creation Scientists*2 who have spent years in scientific research and study of our natural Earth and the surrounding heavens, and have come to some fantastic conclusions by using Genesis' first chapters as a literal, natural explanation of how God actually did it. Their analytic studies (though sometimes varied from one Creation Scientist to another), can't only withstand against those who cannot see the Bible as scientifically accurate, but with proper observations of the natural Earth, we can, in my opinion, prove that God created everything just as He says in the first part of Genesis.

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However, in this book, my main focus is not on the natural creation, which did indeed happen in the way that it says that it did (and there are many good books already in print on that subject that expounds upon this*3), but, rather, this is a study about the spiritual − the "invisible" – side of creation; a subject that only a few have explored, but is just as important as the natural counterpart . . . Nay! But, perhaps, is even of greater importance − for it paints a more vivid picture for the believer, illustrating their next step in their spiritual development, and a more solid ground for salvation.

 

Colossians 1:16-17

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

Yes, the invisible side of the creation, of what natural man and even science cannot see. For, I believe that the invisible side of creation was made along with, and at the same time, as the natural creation − and even today is still being used to convert new Christian souls over to God. And, we shall see, as we continue to plod along, of how that exactly works.

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However, taking the Bible in only a naturalistic manner is what most Christians will do. And, by saying Christians, I am meaning those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, and who try to apply those teachings to their lives. But is this always the only route to take with the scriptures? Is this the only way to interpret the Written Word of God? That is, naturalistically? For instance, by saying that Noah's Ark, the flood, and even the Tower of Babel were literal, naturally observed events would be, in my opinion, a very good truth to expound upon − that is, as opposed to them just being simple moral stories with no historical value. As my belief furthers itself, I actually can see that the Ark of Noah is a literal, natural boat, and can even see that the flood was real enough to have actually overtaken the entire planet, being true historical events.*4 But, even if we can take these events as historically accurate, are we supposed take every single instance or thought ever written in the Bible as naturally interpreted events? No, we cannot. Why? Here is why:

 

Matthew 13:34-35

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.

 

Quoting . . .

 

Psalms 78:2-3

I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

 

Now, just what is a parable?

 

Parable, H4912, from Strong's Hebrew Dictionary (published 1890; public domain):

A pithy maxim, usually of a metaphorical nature; hence a simile (as an adage, poem, discourse): - byword, like, parable, proverb.*5

 

By reading these, we can see that a parable should not be taken naturally. If you do take every thought in the Bible as naturally understood only, you may be in danger of misunderstanding a particular thought, and could read something in the Bible that's not even there − not being able to see past the shadowy examples that hide spiritual truths, which are heavenly sayings . . . For example:

 

Saint John 3:12 (Jesus talking with Nicodemus)

If I have told you earthly things [natural things], and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

 

There are obviously heavenly meanings as there are earthly meanings. But, if this is so, then which scriptures do we now see as metaphorical, and which do we take as natural or historical? Let us see what the Apostle Paul teaches us...

 

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 can actually divide His Words of Truth for us into their proper perspectives, and into their rightful camps of spiritual and natural. The Bible has truth − granted! − and IS truth; but, the scriptures must be divided properly, the spiritual from the natural, to see exactly what deep things God is trying to tell His children. Let Him give us an ear to hear,*6 let Him circumcise our ears*7 and our hearts,*8 so that we will be able to receive the proper Word of Truth; and let's not take everything written therein as simple tales, and at natural face value only – and, all in the wrong places. These parables (as can be seen in Psalms 78:2-3) were given shadowy meanings − and, so strong are these shadows that even the most dedicated Christians can sometimes miss them. Yet, then again, we do not receive the understanding of them automatically, nor overnight; but we learn them over time, as the Spirit sees proper to give us insight.

 

Now, let's dig even deeper; and, I will make notes [within brackets] along the way in these next quoted scriptures:

 

1 Corinthians 2:6-14

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect [mature in Christ]: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought [nothing]: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden [invisible] wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory [again, see Psalms 78:2-3; and, too, this will show us how metaphors were developed at the beginning of His entire work]: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him [i.e. parablistic metaphors, with the deep meanings of God, hidden in shadowy sayings]. But God hath revealed them unto us [the Elect] by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God [hidden things, hidden from carnal minds]. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God [that is, when we get an ear to hear]. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth [only the Holy Ghost can teach us these things]; comparing spiritual things with spiritual [spiritually understood things]. 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.

 

What can be said of all this? Can we not see that there are hidden messages in God's Written Word? But why? If that is really so, then why would He hide them? Why couldn't all His truths be thrown out in plain sight for the whole world to see? . . . Let's take that question to the next step:

 

Matthew 13:10-17

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you [the Elect] to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven [which are hidden messages], but to them [the non-Elect] it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias [Isaiah], which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them [which is something that God, obviously, does NOT want to do!]. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men 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.

 

Now, let's go even further with these thoughts:

 

Isaiah 29:9-14

Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep [not literally dead, but dead to God's truths], and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book [i.e. the Word of God] that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

 

Now, we need to analyze the scriptures that we just went over − not only Isaiah 29:9-14, but also Matthew 13:10-17, and even 1st Corinthians 2:6-14. Surely, we can see now that the Bible certainly does hold hidden messages. But hidden to whom? And, again, why? . . . Let's first try and figure out whom the 'princes of this world' are from 1st Corinthians, and then see if they coincide with the 'bad guys' of Isaiah; and, indeed, with those to whom Jesus wanted to hide the spiritual meanings from during His ministry.

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First, who were, or are, the 'princes of this world?' Now, the first thought that comes to our minds are worldly, political leaders. For instance, Caesar of Rome. Or, even his cronies throughout the Empire − even down to Pontius Pilate himself . . . But, to this assessment, I'd have to disagree . . . Let's consider Paul's words:

 

1 Corinthians 2:6-8

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 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: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

 

As we should remember, Pontius Pilate actually found no fault with Jesus, and had wanted to let him go. But, there was another group of folks that wouldn't let Pilate do so.

 

St. John 19:12

And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him [Jesus]: but the Jews [instigated by the Jewish religious leaders – the main antagonists!] cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

 

We can see plainly here that Pilate's hands were being forced. But, by whom? If Pilate was the person who ordered the execution, doesn't that make him the prince of whom Paul said (in 1st Corinthians) that he wouldn't have crucified Him had he known the wisdom of God? Well, the scriptures just above verse 12, in St. John 19, may hold the key:

 

John 19:10-11

Then saith Pilate unto him [Jesus], Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

 

So saying, those who actually delivered Jesus to be crucified are the responsible and guilty party. Having said this, can it make any sense to say that the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day were considered the 'princes of this world?' Well, we can trace, all the way back to the Garden of Eden, where mankind wanted to be something that they are not. In Adam and Eve's case, they wanted to be as gods. In the Pharisees' case, they wanted power − and power they did wield − so much so, that they crucified the Lord of glory. So, yes, it would make sense to say that these are the same men that Isaiah prophesied about in Isaiah 29:9-14, who were blind to the truths of God; and, is also the same men to whom Jesus purposely hid truths from, by masking them behind the institution of parables. Even if during the instance in scripture, when Jesus spoke his parable in Matthew chapter 13, didn't actually say that the Pharisees were present − or even the Scribes or Sadducees − we do know that they tried their best, during Jesus' ministry, to be involved in what He was doing, simply to try and find something that He said or did to their disliking, so that they could hold it against him in the near future . . . We also should consider his ending statement:

 

Matthew 13:9

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 

Naturally, most folks have ears! But, we know that he meant (metaphorically) that those who had ears to hear spiritual things, let them so hear. But, as for folks who had darkened hearts, and were only there for ill intent, their eyes and ears were closed, as Isaiah points out in Isaiah 29:9-14. If we are to say that the religious leaders (or even their henchmen) weren't in the crowd that had gathered in Matthew 13:2, then why did Jesus find it necessary to even make that statement in verse 9? That is, "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear?" Nay; but, since folks were there with evil intentions, as much as they could be, Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables (metaphors), just as it was prophesied of Him in Psalms 78:2, and confirmed in Matthew 13:34-35.

 

Considering these things, can we truly say that all of God's truths are out in the open to where ANYBODY can hear and understand? Or, should we say, rather, that God's truths (His real truths) are hidden behind the curtain of spiritually understood parables and metaphors − meant only for the true children of God (the Elect) to understand? Therefore, and if that is really true, we better roll up our sleeves and get to work on asking God to help us to decipher His hidden Word. Do we really want to be left in the dark on His truths?

 

However, I have heard it said several times before that the Bible is open, and plainly understood, and that we don't need some Bible expert to help us understand what God says plainly to the whole world. Well, as far as that thought is concerned, I think that the Pharisees would have disagreed! But, and at the same time, I'm certainly not downing those folks who believe this. After all, we do have statements by the Apostle John that says things on this wise:

 

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.

 

But, allow me to also point out another set of scriptures:

 

Romans 10:13-15

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

 

And, also:

 

1 Corinthians 1:21

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

 

So, do we need a preacher to enlighten us, or not? I will say that the folks, of whom read 1st John 2:27, and have understood John to mean that we have no need of preachers to teach us truths concerning the Bible (and especially hidden truths in the Bible), are, in my estimation, misunderstanding what's being said by John. The funny thing is, a lot of people who say that we don't need a called Biblical teacher to teach us truths about God's Words are claiming to be preachers themselves. Seriously, if we are having ministers teaching such ideas, then I'd have to ask what possessed them to contradict the job of a preacher in the first place? Wouldn't preaching such a thing be refuting their own words, since they are preaching and teaching against preaching and teaching? But, I will certainly agree that we don't need preachers like the Pharisees. And, believe you me, there are many preachers out there with that kind of a spirit! Those are the ministers (princes of this 'religious' world) who are actually contradicting God's Word, and of whom God has blinded the eyes of, and of whom God hides His hidden truths from on purpose . . . And, did you notice how I snuck in the statement "princes of this 'religious' world?" For, that is my assessment of whom the 'princes of the world' are from Paul's letter; that is, not being of this 'ungodly' world, but rather of the 'religious' world. And, there are some like this today − 'princes of this present religious world' − who have the same spirit that the Pharisees had all those years ago . . . Surely, there is nothing new under the sun.*9

 

Now, back to what John meant, in 1st John 2:27, is that we have no need for a man to teach us who is NOT anointed with the Spirit of Truth. This gives us our perfect balance between 1st John 2:27, Romans 10:13-15, and 1st Corinthians 1:21, in that one passage says that we don't need a man to teach us, and the others paint a picture that we do. When we first come to the Lord, we aren't at the point of being teachers ourselves, but are in need of being taught.*10 And, as John points out, it is very true that the Spirit of Truth (i.e. the Holy Spirit, when it is in teaching form) is the true teacher, in that it will line up with an anointed teacher of God (even though they are human), and ring true in our hearts (having a spiritual ear to hear what's being said). However, if we are of the spirit of Pharisee, then no matter what's being said, we will be blind to truths, seeing as we have no Spirit of Truth (the anointing) abiding within us, and we will not be able to receive anything − no matter what kind of preacher is speaking! Therefore, we have no need that a man of his own flesh and speaking teach us; for, when a person preaches from the very throne of God, it's not him speaking anymore, but God is speaking through him...

 

John 7:38

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly*11 shall flow rivers of living water.

 

Again, let's not take this naturally, but rather metaphorically (as I point out in detail in my End Note for Belly), that when an anointed preacher of God speaks, rivers of living water will proceed out of him. Could a Pharisee do this? And, notice, too, what is said in the very next verse:

 

John 7:39a

But this spake he of the Spirit...

 

Again, this is the anointing, the Spirit of Truth, which proceeds out of a true teacher of God, and not a Pharisee. This is where truth springs from when we are anointed by God. But, without this anointing, we have no need for a man (that is, just man alone, and without God's assistance) to teach us anything. So, in other words, if a person is not anointed to teach or preach, then listening to them would be a complete waste of our time. This is the theme of what John was meaning − it's the anointing of Christ that compels truth to be conveyed. And, without it, we have no need for a natural, carnal man to teach us anything.