I'm not talking about the point of the message, I'm talking about the fact that certain things in the Bible were meant to be taken literally, certain things were not.
Israel.
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I'm not talking about the point of the message, I'm talking about the fact that certain things in the Bible were meant to be taken literally, certain things were not.
And these are my points:
First, as far as I recall, all biblical parables are spiritual – that’s what makes them biblical parables, but if you can show me any that are not, please feel free to do so. Otherwise, "common sense" is not a factor in determining whether or not they are to be understood as literal.
Second, just by purely reading verses in isolation, it is not always discernable as to whether they should be understood literally or spiritually – we cannot determine God’s ultimate purpose for them within the whole of the scriptural scheme of things using “common sense” as an ultimate criteria. At first glance, many verses may appear self-contained, innocuous, and straight forward - to be understood literally as-is, yet they often can be anything but that. So, to come to a correct biblical interpretation through the Holy Spirit (for without the Holy Spirit no one can perceive God’s word correctly), we must first find and compare spiritual with spiritual: a much deeper dive of scripture is needed than what may seem necessary relative to immediate context.
Given that you didn’t explain what the “things” are you had in mind, sure, you can find a few basic sentences that can stand on their own, but for the most part, “common sense” will not bring you to a correct understanding of God’s word. There are many verses, such as the following that have doctrine completed or explained elsewhere- dare I say most verses - if not because of the verses themselves, then because of the overriding scriptural context they exist within/under, which affects meaning as much as the verses themselves do, maybe even more so.
So, simply reading verses in isolation does not always yield how they should be understood - whether literally or spiritually, nor do they reveal God's greater purpose for them within scripture. Please read the following verses as an example of this. Were we to read
Gen 16:11- 12, in isolation, “common sense” would dictate that they were simple, self-contained statements, with no need of looking elsewhere.
[Gen 16:11 KJV] 11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
[Gen 21:2 KJV] 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
However, were we to look further into scripture - into the New Testament in this case - we would find the following revelation, which revelation, changes the intent of the verses dramatically from what seemed initially as literal, into spiritual:
[Gal 4:22-24 KJV]
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.
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.
God wrote the Bible as one integrated spiritual book about Christ and salvation, from Genisis to The Revelation, even though it may not always seem so on the surface- with the earlier parts generally forming a spiritual basis for the latter.
This is why scripture informs us of the following:
[2Pe 1:20 KJV] 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
[1Co 2:13 KJV] 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.
We have parables in the Bible, we have poetry, certain things are symbolic, certain things are figuratively said, others things are to be taken literally. However you discern the difference is not the point. The point is a literal land was promised to Abraham with literal borders. It's not spiritual, it's literal. That was the point. Simple.
Paul wrote in Galatians 3:29 "And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s descendants, and heirs according to the promise."
Since I am Christ's, do I have a claim to the land, too?
Just for reference, the word for "descendants" above is the same word for 'descendants' used by the Jews here:
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
Abraham will receive the promise in the resurrection and his seed, Christ, received the land when he was on earth. And natural Israel under Solomon possessed all of the land within those borders .
Those of you who are against the state of Israel, have you considered the fact that without jews present in Jerusalem, Jesus could not return?
Zechariah 14 talks about the Lord returning and the Jews are there. Which means that in order for Zechariah to be fulfilled, they must be in Jerusalem. You don't have to agree with the rabbis or politicians of Israel, Lord knows I don't. But what you do have to agree with is the Scriptures which state that prior to the Lord's return jews will live in Jerusalem. However you feel about the state of Israel, it accomplished that prophetic purpose, so that now there are jews in Jerusalem
The hatred for Jerusalem stems from many things, the devil hates Israel and Jerusalem because:
1. He knows that Jesus cannot return unless jews are in Jerusalem, so he wants to kick them out to prevent Jesus' return.
2. He wants to kill all jews so that Jeremiah 31:37-39 will be nullified and Israel will no longer be a people before him, this same promise is repeated in Jeremiah 33.
3. Jesus walked and talked in Jerusalem and most of his ministry was in the land of Israel.
God bless Israel. God bless the natural descendants of Jacob and may He lead them to repentance. Which we know in the last generation He will.
Zechariah 14 talks about the Lord returning and the Jews are there. Which means that in order for Zechariah to be fulfilled, they must be in Jerusalem. You don't have to agree with the rabbis or politicians of Israel, Lord knows I don't. But what you do have to agree with is the Scriptures which state that prior to the Lord's return jews will live in Jerusalem. However you feel about the state of Israel, it accomplished that prophetic purpose, so that now there are jews in Jerusalem
The hatred for Jerusalem stems from many things, the devil hates Israel and Jerusalem because:
1. He knows that Jesus cannot return unless jews are in Jerusalem, so he wants to kick them out to prevent Jesus' return.
2. He wants to kill all jews so that Jeremiah 31:37-39 will be nullified and Israel will no longer be a people before him, this same promise is repeated in Jeremiah 33.
3. Jesus walked and talked in Jerusalem and most of his ministry was in the land of Israel.
God bless Israel. God bless the natural descendants of Jacob and may He lead them to repentance. Which we know in the last generation He will.
You do indeed! And you will inherit the land, and not just the land but the entire earth in the resurrection!!!
Why to the first statement and where is the 2nd statement stated in Zechariah?
“The hatred for Jerusalem stems from many things, the devil hates Israel and Jerusalem because:”
“Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.”
Ezekiel 16:1-2, 8, 10-14
“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:”
Revelation 12:1 KJV
“But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;
Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD: Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them; behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.”
Ezekiel 16:15-16, 22, 30, 35-41
“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: …..And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.”
Revelation 17:4, 6 KJV
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”
Matthew 23:37-38 KJV
maybe it’s not “ hating jeruswlem to acknowledge that thoer covenant was broken and God judged them as he told them he would
I'm not against any ethnic group and I certain wish death upon no one. I simply believe that a person comes to the Father only by the Son.
I have no issue with the Jews being in Jerusalem at any time. But, Zachariah 14 is hardly proof that is must be so. There are parts of the chapter that point to the 'Jerusalem' as the 'New Jerusalem'. In fact, in my reading, if things are taken symbolically, it makes more sense on the whole.
Sure, pray for the Jews. But remember to pray for the Arabs, too. It is their time until the fullness of the Gentiles is concluded. Many of them are under the deception of the god of murder, Allah. But many, every day, are finding freedom in Christ.
Pray for the Christians too
Question: Have Christians lived in Taybeh Israel since the time of Christ?
AI Answer: Yes, Christians have lived in Taybeh since the time of Christ, as it is identified with ancient Ephraim, where Jesus is said to have stayed with his disciples after raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:54). The village has a long-standing Christian community, with roots traced back to the early centuries of Christianity
Q: If Christians have inhabited Taybeh Israel since the time of Christ is it possible that its current residents are descendants of Jews who became Christians?
AI: Yes, it is possible that the current residents of Taybeh, Israel, are descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity, as many early Christians were originally Jewish. The historical context of the region suggests a continuity of population and cultural identity over centuries.
Q: What's going on in Taybeh Israel right now?
AI: Taybeh, the last fully Christian town in the West Bank, is currently facing increasing violence and harassment from Jewish settlers, including arson attacks on churches and agricultural land. Local church leaders have condemned these actions, calling for urgent investigations and support from the global community to protect their community and heritage.
Because for Zechariah 14 to be fulfilled, there needs to be jews present:
1A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.
2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
How can the jews flee if they aren't there?
Since the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is my Everlasting Father it seems I may also rightfully claim to be a Jew in the spirit, as well.
I'm good with that.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.”
Isaiah 65:17-18
“but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
….But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
2 Peter 3:7, 10, 13 KJV
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
Hebrews 11:13, 16 KJV
“but ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
Hebrews 12:22-24 KJV
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
Revelation 21:1-2 KJV
There is Jerusalem now on this earth that is under the bondage of the ot law and it’s curse
“For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
( there’s another Jerusalem God promised that we haven’t seen we have to hear about it and believe like those men of faith did )
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.”
Galatians 4:25-26 KJV
There will be no jeeting of any passage; exe or intra.
You should know that passage is one of much debate. Namely: is it pre-Christ, post-resurrection, or is it a mix of both. Take it as you wish.
The 1st 3 verses IMO are either talking about the Romans or Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who both sacked Jerusalem.
Jesus walked on the Mt of Olives many times during his life on earth, as mentioned in verse 4.
Verse 5 is from a corrupted text. The real reading is in the LXX:
And the valley of my mountains shall be blocked up, and the valley of the mountains shall be joined on to Azal, and shall be blocked up as it was blocked up in the days of the earthquake, in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with him. Zechariah 14:5
So there will be no fleeing. The reason there are two different versions is because a verb (nstm) that occurs 3 times in this verse means 2 very different things depending upon pronunciation (original Hebrew scrolls only had consonants). The Masoretes changed the text by inserting their tradition that mimics Moses splitting the Red Sea to flee through. All they had to do was slightly alter the pronunciation of nstm. As far as I know I am the world's expert on this matter, so if you have any questions feel free to ask.
“And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”
Zechariah 14:8-9 KJV
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
John 7:38 KJV
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Matthew 28:18-20 KJV
“and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:11 KJV
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
…Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
Acts 3:19-21, 24-26 KJV
“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”
Zechariah 14:4 KJV
“Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.”
John 8:1-2
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