September 10, 2006

• Friday Bible Study – Symbolism in the Bible by Pastor Theodore Van Dyke, Jr.

  My husband is in the throes of a major computer challenge and has tied up the computer. I am upping the posting date on this because I think the material is a blessing. Things are going well here – my oldest is doing his Eagle Project a bit, my daughter and I just had a planning meeting regarding what is left of my troop’s silver project. Homework, and kids really wiped out from getting up early for school. And church. Thank God for those moments of peace in church! Hope your Sunday is blessed.

  Heather

  ***

  We were blessed to have Pastor Ted teach Friday’s Bible study. Very soon he will be coming up on his fourth year anniversary as Assistant Pastor and Teen Pastor of Living Word Chapel. We are so blessed in the pastors of our church. They are so hardworking and loving, and good teachers as well!

  I suppose you have figured out by now that our church loves Bible studies! Pastor Ted was showing us how a Bible passage can be interpreted in the natural and also in the spiritual. That there are layers and layers of meaning in the Bible passages. That there is a difference between the Letter and the Spirit of the Word. Most of us started out reading the Bible in the natural – learning the stories, but then when we got saved the Spirit started opening up the meaning of the Word, giving us more revelation about what we are reading in the natural.

  There is a progression – first understanding in the natural, then understanding in the Spirit.

  For example, the lamb is both a physical lamb, and also a symbol of Jesus, the pure sacrifice for our sins.

  Colossians 2:1-3 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

  The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are HIDDEN. Something hidden is not in plain sight, it has to be sought out, revealed by the Spirit of God. God gives insight and direction to us.

  1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

  The natural man (before we are saved, when we are in the world) cannot have spiritual discernment.

  2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

  The old passing away also relates to God’s Word as well – the old understanding is replaced with the new. When we are IN CHRIST, we will read and understand the Word of God with a greater depth. It is a process, but the more we walk IN CHRIST, the more the old way of thinking will pass away. When we are in Christ, we have renewed minds, our thoughts change. We move from the carnal things to the spiritual things. And we gain understanding and wisdom of God’s word, for we are more able to understand the spiritual.

  Our Spirit is where God deals with us. Pastor Ted talked about the Cherubim on the Ark – how they were made by being beaten out of one lump of Gold, and their wingtips touched – the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Adam was the first/beginning/Alpha and Jesus is the Second Adam/the last/Omega. This is symbolized in many ways in the Bible, including the Cherubim. But if you read The Old Testament closely- there are signs of Jesus written all over the place, if you read with the eyes of the Spirit.

  Then Pastor Ted had us think about certain words, what we know about them in the natural and what we can glean from the Spiritual. It was a discussion session with all of us throwing out ideas and Pastor Ted pulling them together. I tried to get as many ideas down as possible.

  BABYLON – Babylon is a city, and it is also confusion. There was the tower of Babel, where men built from their own strength seeking to reach toward Heaven. God confused their language and made them unable to communicate with each other. They were scattered over the earth which was God’s original plan. Babylon was also called a harlot.

  Isaiah 1:21 How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers.

  In this passage the name “Babylon” is not mentioned but we know that that is the city referred to. In Revelation, Jerusalem is called “Babylon”.

  Pastor Ted pointed out that when we read about something in the natural such as Babylon, we need to realize that there is something inside us that also portrays Babylon. In us there is confusion. Babylon was made of brick – manmade – how often do we advance our own manmade plans, instead of following God’s plan. We need to build our tower on the rock – on Jesus, on the Word of God. If we build our towers on our own understanding they will be thrown down and confusion will reign. We have stony hearts. We need to let the Spirit of God reveal to us about His Temple (and we are the Temple of God). God does not dwell in houses made with hands, but He dwells in the Temple (us).

  Jeremiah 51:7-8 Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations are deranged. Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain. Perhaps she may be healed.

  Revelation talks about Babylon being drunk with the blood of the saints, and how she has fallen. Those who drank her wine (listened to her lies) became deranged, confused. The Spirit of God brings light to the darkness, clarity to the confusion.

  In Genesis, God created light from darkness (confusion), there was a move of the Spirit and Christ which brought the light. In Jewish culture the day starts in the evening at sundown about 6 p.m. six is the number of man and beast. We are made of the dust of the ground, and God breathes His Spirit into us. And the Holy Spirit works in us to bring us up from the pit to the light of Spiritual truth.

  It is awfully prideful of us to think that we are not in this thing – that we too haven’t drank Babylon’s wine, or listened to her lies. That we don’t need the Spirit of truth and being in Christ to bring us up out of the pit, up out of the darkness and confusion.

  BEAST – We think of the beast of the field, natural beasts. The number of man is 666. There is the mark of the beast. But within us are elements of beast too.

  Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?

  During this Bible study we had different translations among the members – and the King James Version translated animals to beasts. And the Amplified gave a lot more information too. Someone pointed out that Solomon came to a better conclusion at the end of Ecclesiastes. And that is true, but at the same time, we are still all from dust and return to dust. In many ways we are like the animals, like the beasts. It takes the Spirit of God to lift us up so we don’t go down to the pit. In the natural we are like beasts, in the Spirit we go upward.

  When we are born we are natural men, instinctive, sensual, but when we are born of the Spirit, we become a process of becoming more and more like God, and less like natural men. When Jesus was on the earth the disciples were sent out and did the miracles that Jesus did, but they weren’t fully converted until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down and empowered them.

  God calls us out of darkness, out of the World, but once we become transformed, we are put back into the World to be a light in the darkness.

  When we look at Adam and Eve we can see natural man and woman, who sin against God, eating of the tree of good and evil. Adam and Eve – husband and wife. In passages in the Bible the wife is referred to as the church, so we can see in Eve also a symbol of the church, and how the church disobeys God’s precepts, eating of forbidden fruit (things that are not biblical).

  God wants to get us to the point where we can use spiritual eyes to discern the Word of God and allow our lives to line up with scripture.

  FOREHEAD – In the natural that is the flat space above the eyes. Some in our group mentioned the mark of the beast that would be on the forehead or hand. Pastor Ted reminded us that there were many marks in the Bible – Cain received a mark, the 144,000 will be marked and of course there is the mark of the beast.

  Jeremiah 3:1-3 They say, “If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, may he return to her again? Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet return to Me,” says the LORD. Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see; Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them like an Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your harlotries and your wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s forehead; you refuse to be ashamed.

  Pastor Ted reminded us of Moses who could not look upon the face of God – that God put Moses in a cleft of the rock (Jesus), and Moses saw the backside of God’s Glory. That would be what God has done as He has passed Moses- and Moses’ face reflected God’s glory when he came down from the mountain – so much so that Moses had to wear a veil.

  Don’t forget that Israel was also considered a wife that became a harlot – consorting with other lovers (doctrines and idols). We too, who have been given life by Jesus, can commit harlotry – by accepting false teachings, not making sure that what we learn and practice is biblical. The forehead of a harlot is painted, it presents a cover up, and hides the shameless, brazen countenance of the harlot. No flesh is going to glory in the LORD. There is a battle inside us. It is very hard to come out of something that we are comfortable with (habit, thought pattern, doctrine), and live the truth. When God reveals truth to us, we are responsible to live according to that truth and to share with others what God has revealed to us.

  Acts 4:32-Acts 5 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all…And Joses, who was also named Barnabas, by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement, a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet. Acts 5 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the LORD? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door. and they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in, and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

  Notice a few things – they were of one heart and one soul, one accord. They did not keep anything to themselves but gave all. In the natural Ananias and Sapphira sold land and kept some of the proceeds for themselves. Notice Sapphira came 3 hours later (she had more time to grow in Spirit – remember that God’s sense of days and hours is vastly different than ours). While this story took place in real time and Ananias and Sapphira really did sell their property and hold back money, the story also speaks about the Spiritual realm. It talks about someone who has been born again, learned much of the Spirit, and still holds back things from God. We all hold back things from God – No one Gives God their ALL. And when we hold back from God, something is us dies.

  Ananias means – God is Gracious
  Sapphira means – beautiful

  Our body is our land, our possession, and we are called to give it all to the Lord, not to keep any of it back. Again we are talking about Husband and Wife – that is a union where two become one – you can’t become one if you are holding back. We are the Bride of Christ, Israel is considered a Wife. Adam and Eve. We are raised up on the third day. The Bride of Christ is the church, and so often we see the church not giving its all to Christ. So often we are not of one accord (we have denominations and division even within one church body).

  Our biggest fear is dying to the flesh, but God will not be mocked. We and the church have a form of Godliness, but denying God’s power, and not living up to the externals (much like the harlot’s forehead). God is dealing with the leadership of the church. It is no accident that many are being caught out in their secret sins. 

  One way or another we must die in the flesh and be in the Spirit – the death can be willingly or if we are holding back, it could be more harsh. The death mentioned above of Ananias and Sapphira is also a death that happens within us. The truth of the Spirit, the fire of the Spirit, will burn away anything that is not pure, anything that is not of God. God wants us to mature, to grow beyond the milk of the Word to the meat of the Word.

  There were many false prophets and teachers that also did the work that Christ did – the healings, prophesies and miracles, but they will come in the last days and Jesus will look at them and say, “I never knew you.”

  We looked up the word MONEY in the concordance in Greek it is 5536 in Strong’s. CHREMA – which means something useful or necessary, wealth, price, money, riches.

  So in our spiritual lives, it is not only money that we can hold back, but something useful or necessary for the advancement of God’s kingdom.

  Barnabas means encourager
  Joses is a derivative of Joseph
  Cyprus means fairness.

  In the Spirit – God wants all of us.

  Saul became blind so that he could realize what he didn’t see. Paul was to become less, Saul was desire. God was gracious to Saul. Saul was blind three days, and had to die to the beast within him, to come out of the state of confusion. He had to realize that it wasn’t the Law, but it was God’s grace. He had to come to the realization of Jesus is the Messiah. He went into the wilderness for a time after he was given back his sight, then came back filled with the Spirit to do God’s work, even to the point of correcting the disciples when they were in error over circumcision and their treatment of the Gentiles.

  God works in us. He wants us to move from the carnal to the spiritual, to read His word with Spiritual eyes. There is a whole panorama of knowledge when we look deeply in the Word through the eyes of the Spirit.

  (Heather’s note). This teaching blessed me very much. When I first started reading the Bible I was reading it in the flesh, looking for those contradictions, those things that didn’t line up. As God cleared my mind from confusion, the Word of the Lord became a living, breathing being that opened up my mind. There is so much excitement and depth in the Word, that I don’t think I will ever grow tired of digging deeply. I am hoping that this blesses you very much. It sure did me.

  Have a blessed weekend!
  Heather

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