September 16, 2006

• BIBLE STUDY – SYMBOLISM by PASTOR THEODORE VAN DYKE,JR.

   Pastor Ted taught Friday’s Bible Study 9/15/06 it was a continuation of his previous Bible Study. He did a bit of review for those who were not at the last study he taught, then took it to new territory. Our pastors want us to get beyond the milk of the Word into the meat of the Word (or in other words, to really dig out every nugget of information that we can from the Bible and learn how to apply it to ourselves and help others). This involves more than merely reading the words written. We want to find the deeper truths, the treasures buried in the Scriptures.

  1 Corinthians 2:11-14 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 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. (Heather’s note: notice the “s” in spirit of the world is not capitalized – it is the carnal spirit, but the next time we see Spirit, it has a Capital “S”. Most times that is a clue about whether the Holy Spirit “S” is being spoken of or the “s” spirit of man. Sometimes the translators do not follow through on this, so you still have to read with discernment, but more often than not this is the case).

  Pastor Ted pointed out that we have to compare the Spiritual things with the Spiritual things. Although God created the natural world and the things of the natural world show us parts of the Spiritual things, you cannot directly compare the natural to gain an understanding of the Spiritual.

  Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.

  As is the case with all of the Bible, the Bible shows what has happened, is happening and will happen in the natural. Revelation is a picture of what will happen in the End Times, there really will be earthquakes, and tribulation. Jesus Christ will come again, there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth. But at the same time as Revelation is showing us this, it is also revealing (Revelation) more about Jesus Christ to us, and it is also showing us what happens within us. There is tribulation occurring now within us as we learn to walk the Christian Path. We need to realize that for the Bible to be useful, we need to apply it to ourselves, not just read it like a novel.

  Pastor Ted told us that the word “signified” refers to symbols. And in this case they are symbols of spiritual things – which we compare with spiritual things to gain a deeper understanding.

  Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

  God is a God of order. He has told us that his invisible attributes can be seen and understood by things that are natural. The natural things provide a point of reference, to help us understand the invisible, Spirit to Spirit. We experience things on earth like marriage, evil, adultery, good, mansions, bread, gardening. By using these tangible things that we have seen, we can infer principles in the Spiritual – the things we cannot see.

  Before we were saved we operated in the realm of the natural man/natural mind. Once we were saved and we have our minds renewed, things that were previously hidden to our natural mind begin to be revealed, and we see more of the workings of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

  Galatians 1:11-12 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

  After Paul received Christ in the Damascas Road experience, he went into the wilderness for many years. It was in the wilderness that the Holy Spirit taught Paul what he knew. What Paul was taught was the “revelation” of Jesus Christ.

  Revelation 1:2-3 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

  (Heather’s note – Revelation is the only book that comes with a promise of blessing to those who read, hear and keep the words taught in this book. In order to hear, someone must also speak.)

  How did John receive this revelation? Revelation 1:9-10 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.

  Notice John was in tribulation (he had suffered much to share the Gospel – tradition tells us that he was boiled in oil) and now he was left alone on the Island of Patmos. (Heather’s comment – this was very hard for him because he was the disciple of love and wanted most to share God’s love with others). Notice that John was “in the Spirit” (Capital S) meaning that John was with the Holy Spirit, on the Lord’s Day. Some say this is the same as the Day of The Lord – the end times Day of the Lord, others say it is the sabbath. But, even alone, John was worshipping God, and he hears a voice, as of a trumpet.

  Pastor Ted pointed out that Patmos was an island. A rocky island surrounded by water. Now water can symbolize the Spirit, it can symbolize the Word, and at times it also symbolizes the sea – which is humanity, the nations of the world. Each of us is in the sea of the world (so God kind of looks at us when we are there as sort of fish in a fishbowl). Remember in Genesis, how God divided the sea and dry land. It is like that with us, God raises us up out of the sea and puts us on an island, on dry land. When we become saved, we are set apart, sanctified. We are IN the world, but not OF the world.

  (Heather’s note, Pastor Ted has a remarkable ability to see interconnections among passages of the Bible, and spiritual meanings behind things that occur in the Bible – he also shares them VERY quickly. I did my best to show the interconnections, but may have left out something).

  Thinking of dividing the waters, we have the waters above and the firmament beneath. God separated darkness from light. We are to be the light of the world, shining out into the darkness. The more we see of the spiritual world, the more others will see the light of Jesus shining through us.

  Think of the times that the waters were parted – Moses and the Red Sea, Joshua and the Jordan River. The waters parted and the people crossed over on dry land. The ones that crossed over were the Israelites, the Children of God.

  Everything in the Bible, everything in Revelation, everything we are experiencing is part of the process that God is using to reveal to us who Jesus is.

  Revelation 1:12-13 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded with a golden band.

  What are the lampstands? Revelation tells us:

  Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

  Here we see some of the symbolism explained by Jesus to John. We will also see that Jesus walks in the midst of the churches. Now take that revelation of Jesus to the Old Testament and think of where we see lampstands. There was a lampstand in the Holy part of the Tabernacle, before the curtain of the Holy of Holies. There along with the incense, showbread, and the lampstand. Everything in the Tabernacle was a picture of Jesus. And we see that Jesus is in the midst of the lampstands (he doesn’t dwell there). Being now at the Right Hand of God, before His second coming, now He is in the midst of the churches observing what the messengers are sharing (prophets, priests, teachers, clergy, evangelists). And we will see in Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation what He feels about the churches.

  Moses asked God to see His Glory. God put Moses in a cleft of the rock (Jesus) and Moses saw the hindparts of God’s Glory – he could not look at God’s face and live. For us the hind parts of God’s glory is seen in creation. 

  In many churches today, the people are not wanting to hear what the lampstands are saying. They don’t want to hear the messages from God’s Word. They use Jesus’ name, but defile His church with their own doctrine. The true elect of God does not concern themselves with the doctrine of man. But rather focuses on the truth of God.

  Pastor Ted pointed out that when God took the Israelites out of Egypt, they did not immediately go to the promised land. They were in the Wilderness where they were tempted, where they were led to develop spiritual muscles. As they found out when they sent spies into the promised land, there were giants there, and God wanted them to build their muscles and grow strong enough to face the giants.

  When we get saved, we still have our wilderness experiences, where God causes us to grow and develop our spiritual muscles. Even Jesus, after He was baptized was brought to the wilderness to be tempted by satan (Matthew 4).

  Revelation 1:19 (Heather’s note, the outline of the whole book of Revelation – Chapter 1 things seen, Chapter 2-3 things which are, Chapters 4-end things which will take place after this.) Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

  Pastor Ted told us that in Noah’s day they were marrying, eating, sleeping doing normal things – and then the end (flood). In Noah’s day there are the things Noah saw, the things which were going on around him, and the things that would take place after this (flood).

  The Beast (see last study of Pastor Ted’s) was, is and will take place. We have to also look within us, where we have a was, is and will take place within us. The Revealing of Jesus Christ is a process.

  John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

  We grow from Glory to Glory. We were born in darkness and before we got saved we gave to others a lot of confusion. We have had the serpent tempt us. We have experienced the beast, there was flesh in us. If we think that we do not have all those things in us, we are fooling ourselves. We have come from our Egypt’s (the world) and spent time in the wilderness, and God refines us to be more like Him as we walk in obedience to Him.

  Remember when the Israelites were in the wilderness, they had left Egypt, and were glad. Then they got hungry – there was no food so they became contentious, complaining to Moses. Moses couldn’t feed the more than a million Israelites, and they started complaining (falsely remembering the joys of Egypt). Moses was a man, he could not give the Israelites what God could give them. God gave them bread from heaven (manna) which nourished them.

  We have to die to the flesh (Egypt), die to our self. As we do this God sets us apart from the sea of humanity, but then later He will put us back in to be a light and a beacon to the world.

  The mysteries in the Bible are hidden. It doesn’t make sense to put a treasure out in plain sight where anyone can grab it. We have to dig it up, be obedient to Christ.

  Many on the earth use Jesus’ name but Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you.” Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you: depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

  It isn’t enough to just attend church, to do miracles and signs and wonders, to read the Bible. It is about relationship, about KNOWING Jesus, about obedience to God, doing what God wants when He wants us to do it. The messengers going into churches that are not teaching the truth, and pointing out the lies being taught are not well received. Many churches are choosing to keep their own doctrines, even though they do not line up with the Word of God.

  Revelation 2:14-16 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

  Jesus will not tolerate false doctrine. When the end times comes He will destroy the false doctrine with the sword, which is His Word. When it comes to churches we have to discern the fruit of the spirit. Every person who is in the ministry is not of God. You have to have ears to hear and eyes to see if the person is teaching according the the truth of God. Man appoints man to ministry, but unless God appoints the minister, you are getting the teachings of man.

  Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

  Someone asked what the stone was. Jesus is the Rock, Jesus is the Word, so the stone is the pure word, and there is a new name on the stone – we are new creations in Christ.

  Pastor Ted then decided to share some more symbolism with us. (Hopefully he will share more, he has a packet of words that are symbols, and Bible references that help to explain them, and periodically He graces us with a few).

  We spent some more time on FOREHEAD. For in the Bible many were marked on their hands and forehead.

  Jeremiah 3:1-3 They say, “If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and become another man’s. May he return to her again? Would not the land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers: You 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 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.

  Even though it is not expressly stated, the above refers to Babylon (to Jerusalem polluted by the harlotry of idolatry). The forehead is the thinking, the mind. The hand is the work that we put our hands to. When we fill our mind with the lies of idolatry, then we have the mark of the beast on our foreheads. (Remember the 144,000 – that God marks, well satan is the imitator of God, so he too will give a mark). The end result though is very different. A harlot would wear the signs of the prosperity of her trade outwardly – on her forehead might be jewels and signs of wealth given for her services. God is waiting for them to return to Him, so he can pour out his blessings again.

  Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 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? So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

  Pastor Don then talked about Cain and Abel and the mark that was put on Cain’s forehead. Abel had the more perfect sacrifice – in accord with God’s teaching – the blood of the lamb (which represents Jesus), Cain produced his offering of the field – the work of his hands – an offering that he chose to present to God, but it wasn’t the offering God was seeking.

  After Cain killed Abel, God banished him – and Cain was afraid that people would kill him, so God put a mark on him to protect Cain’s life, but he lived a life of exile

  One person mentioned that if you break down the name Abel to its parts AB (father) EL (God) you see the head shepherd holding sacrifice. Cain, in the spiritual, resembles the antichrist.  and when Cain is banished, he goes to Nod (which means wander).

  satan is a spirit, our adversary, our accuser. As we listen to the Word of God, we are able to discern spiritual things, and then we can ask ourselves if something is of God, or an imitation of God. Satan will accuse us of not knowing the truth, or of not seeing the symbols clearly. That is why we must know the Word so well, so that the truth stands apart from the lie.

  BITTER

  Proverbs 5:3-4 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell.

  So many times the lies sound sweet, so full of truth, but once we taste them they are bitter, and destroy. If we follow the lies, believe untruth, listen to false teachings it leads to death.

  Revelation 8:10-11 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters become wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

  Ecclesiastes 7:21-29 Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others. All this I have proved by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; But it was far from me, as for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out? I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness, and I find more bitter than death. The woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be trapped by her. “Here is what I have found,” says the Preacher, “Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason, which my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all these I have not found. Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

  The churches that teach false wisdom lead to death. When a false doctrine puts a church outside of God’s Word it confuses people, and that keeps people away from the church. This applies to cults like David Koresh type cults – which people point to and then infer that all churches are bad. Or to false doctrines that people realize are not of God.

  In the Old Testament, Exodus 15:25 Moses restores the bitter waters at Marah with a tree (the cross). The way out of bitterness, out of lies, out of confusion is the cross (Jesus).

  FROGS

  Revelation 16:12-14 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

  Frogs are lying spirits, and deceive people with their signs and wonders. In Exodus 8 there was a plague of frogs – frogs symbolized fertility to the Egyptians. We know it is a fertility of lies.

  Psalm 78:40-45 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy. When He worked His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan: Turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink. He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.

  We need to discern the false prophets, and the way we do so is to observe them and what they do/don’t do. Everything visible God has given to us so that we can understand things in the Spirit.

  From the sea of humanity, the Holy Spirit will pluck up those whom God has chosen. They are led to the promised land, but not at first. First they are strengthened through the wilderness, and when they are weak, God makes them strong. God is preparing us for the Promised Land. And the way to speed up the wilderness experience is obedience to God.

  Hope you enjoyed this Bible study taught by Pastor Ted. I always love hearing other teachings and teachers, for each brings of themselves to the Word and points out things that add depth. We are blessed to have so many good teachers at our church.

  Hope you have a great weekend.

  Heather

   

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