The Message
There have been questions asking how you properly interpret the bible. I originaly posted this in the psudoscience/bible/ufo's/giants/ forum, and since I see similar questions asked here too, and it is a more apropriate area for the subject, I've reposted my answer here.
Q: How do you know what is true and what is parable?
Q: If every story in the Bible is not meant to be literal truth, how do you decide which ones are?, How do you know if ANY of it is?
-------------------------------------------------
A: Thats a fair question(s), and I will answer it to the best of my ability, with God's help. This may get a little lengthy, so I'm apolgizing in advance.
It's true, as a man, I could have as many different guesses of the true meaning of the scriptures as the next man. Many have made their best guesses and put their own interpretations to it in the past, some were close in some areas and some were not. But God's Word is of no privite interpration. "Word" in the Greek means two different things - "Rhema" is the "letter of the word", and "Logos" is the thought or true meaning of the word". One word can have many differnt meanings. The author of the bible "God" who wrote it by the prophets, is the only one who can correctly interpret it.
God is a manifestion of the promises made in His word, in that effect, God is the Word. (1 John 1:1-14). The whole bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Just as God has chosen to hide Himself from the "world", He has also chosen to hide the meaning of His Word from the "world", so He can reveal it to whom He will in a time and place of His own chosing. In John 6:44, Jesus said: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him". Only those He has chosen to see, will, and the rest will not. What I'm about to tell you is profound and startling, but it is the truth. I'm not responcible for making anyone believe it, thats up to Him. The bible has been a locked, or "sealed" book, the complete revelation of which has been witheld until the last days. (Dan 12:9-10). Rev. 10:1-7 says the "book " will remain sealed until Christ returns with the book in His hand open, and in the "days of the voice of the seventh angel" the mysteries of God should be finished.
The Jews missed their day of "visitation", because they mis-interpreted the scriptures' meaning, by confusing prophecies of Christ first and second comings. They thought He was coming to set up His kingdom, and missed His coming as the sacrifice. The "Gentiles" today and their organized religions have also missed, and are missing their "day of visitation". Mis-interpreting the scriptures, they have confused the people about how Christ has promised to return in His second coming. What was promised to the Gentiles was the "revelation of the Son of Man". Luke 17:26 " And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." Luke 17:30 "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Jesus refered to himself when he was here as the "Son of Man:, it is the title of an office, when God uses a prophet to reveal Himself to the people. John 6:53 "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." The Word itself seperates those who beleive from those who do not. He didn't explain it. Some said: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" and in John chapter 6:66 ( notice the numbers here) "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him". Others chose to stay even though they didn't understand, because they believed he was "The Christ". See how God works. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the Son of Man, and He's come back and revealed Himself to this generation through the office of a prophet just as he promised. Amos 3:7, Mal 4:5-6, Rev 10:7 are just a few of the scriptures. The supernatural ministry of William Branham (1909-1965) was thoroughly vindicated as that of a prophet, a seer such as were the old testement prophets with all the signs, wonders, and miracles the world has not seen since the days Jesus Christ walked the earth. The disernment of the thoughts and intents of the heart, that only God could know, was displayed thousands of times without one single error. But as it was in Jesus first ministry, the miracles were not merely done for show, it was to attract the peoples attention, then after God had vindicated His messenger, He sat down to teach them doctrine. That pattern was repeated in this day. First the sign, then the voice of the sign. The miracles God performed night after night through William Branham's ministry attracted millions to the ranks of the pentacostal movement in the late 40's, 50's and early 60's. But in 1963, after letting there be no doubt this was truly a man God had raised up to be His prophet, Jesus Christ, the only one worthy, took the book, opened it, came down, and through the mouthpiece of a prophet revealed his Word that had been hidden since the foundation of the world. Things mortal man had only guessed at through the ages, His doctrine, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. (Rev. 10:7). It was the revelation of the Son of Man. He came exactly as promised, just not the way the church had it figured - sound familar ?. "the same yesterday, today and forever". After the churches (the organizations - not the people) rejected God's message, just as they did in His first coming, He turned to calling His people out of it's organized religous systems refered to as " Babylon the Great, mother of harlots and abominations of the earth". Rev 18:1-4. These things were not done in a corner, and the message is still unfolding more every day through a five-fold ministry (prophets, apostles, evangelist, pastors and teachers) of God called men. "We speak that we do know". They asked Jesus: "By what authority do you speak these things."? "Where did you receive this knowledge? We have no record of any school you went to for learning". It has been revealed from the mind of God. My own ideas were a million miles off. This is the wedding supper, the feast He promised. The marriage of the Lamb is come, the Bridegroom's here. With the revelation of His Word and His will, the Bride is making herself ready. The bride and the Bridegroom say come.
He's still here calling His elect....if you feel the pull after reading this, check into it....I've told you the truth, and I pray those who read this will have the eyes of their understanding enlightened.
God Bless You,
TheVisitor
There have been questions asking how you properly interpret the bible. I originaly posted this in the psudoscience/bible/ufo's/giants/ forum, and since I see similar questions asked here too, and it is a more apropriate area for the subject, I've reposted my answer here.
Q: How do you know what is true and what is parable?
Q: If every story in the Bible is not meant to be literal truth, how do you decide which ones are?, How do you know if ANY of it is?
-------------------------------------------------
A: Thats a fair question(s), and I will answer it to the best of my ability, with God's help. This may get a little lengthy, so I'm apolgizing in advance.
It's true, as a man, I could have as many different guesses of the true meaning of the scriptures as the next man. Many have made their best guesses and put their own interpretations to it in the past, some were close in some areas and some were not. But God's Word is of no privite interpration. "Word" in the Greek means two different things - "Rhema" is the "letter of the word", and "Logos" is the thought or true meaning of the word". One word can have many differnt meanings. The author of the bible "God" who wrote it by the prophets, is the only one who can correctly interpret it.
God is a manifestion of the promises made in His word, in that effect, God is the Word. (1 John 1:1-14). The whole bible is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Just as God has chosen to hide Himself from the "world", He has also chosen to hide the meaning of His Word from the "world", so He can reveal it to whom He will in a time and place of His own chosing. In John 6:44, Jesus said: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him". Only those He has chosen to see, will, and the rest will not. What I'm about to tell you is profound and startling, but it is the truth. I'm not responcible for making anyone believe it, thats up to Him. The bible has been a locked, or "sealed" book, the complete revelation of which has been witheld until the last days. (Dan 12:9-10). Rev. 10:1-7 says the "book " will remain sealed until Christ returns with the book in His hand open, and in the "days of the voice of the seventh angel" the mysteries of God should be finished.
The Jews missed their day of "visitation", because they mis-interpreted the scriptures' meaning, by confusing prophecies of Christ first and second comings. They thought He was coming to set up His kingdom, and missed His coming as the sacrifice. The "Gentiles" today and their organized religions have also missed, and are missing their "day of visitation". Mis-interpreting the scriptures, they have confused the people about how Christ has promised to return in His second coming. What was promised to the Gentiles was the "revelation of the Son of Man". Luke 17:26 " And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." Luke 17:30 "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Jesus refered to himself when he was here as the "Son of Man:, it is the title of an office, when God uses a prophet to reveal Himself to the people. John 6:53 "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." The Word itself seperates those who beleive from those who do not. He didn't explain it. Some said: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" and in John chapter 6:66 ( notice the numbers here) "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him". Others chose to stay even though they didn't understand, because they believed he was "The Christ". See how God works. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the Son of Man, and He's come back and revealed Himself to this generation through the office of a prophet just as he promised. Amos 3:7, Mal 4:5-6, Rev 10:7 are just a few of the scriptures. The supernatural ministry of William Branham (1909-1965) was thoroughly vindicated as that of a prophet, a seer such as were the old testement prophets with all the signs, wonders, and miracles the world has not seen since the days Jesus Christ walked the earth. The disernment of the thoughts and intents of the heart, that only God could know, was displayed thousands of times without one single error. But as it was in Jesus first ministry, the miracles were not merely done for show, it was to attract the peoples attention, then after God had vindicated His messenger, He sat down to teach them doctrine. That pattern was repeated in this day. First the sign, then the voice of the sign. The miracles God performed night after night through William Branham's ministry attracted millions to the ranks of the pentacostal movement in the late 40's, 50's and early 60's. But in 1963, after letting there be no doubt this was truly a man God had raised up to be His prophet, Jesus Christ, the only one worthy, took the book, opened it, came down, and through the mouthpiece of a prophet revealed his Word that had been hidden since the foundation of the world. Things mortal man had only guessed at through the ages, His doctrine, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. (Rev. 10:7). It was the revelation of the Son of Man. He came exactly as promised, just not the way the church had it figured - sound familar ?. "the same yesterday, today and forever". After the churches (the organizations - not the people) rejected God's message, just as they did in His first coming, He turned to calling His people out of it's organized religous systems refered to as " Babylon the Great, mother of harlots and abominations of the earth". Rev 18:1-4. These things were not done in a corner, and the message is still unfolding more every day through a five-fold ministry (prophets, apostles, evangelist, pastors and teachers) of God called men. "We speak that we do know". They asked Jesus: "By what authority do you speak these things."? "Where did you receive this knowledge? We have no record of any school you went to for learning". It has been revealed from the mind of God. My own ideas were a million miles off. This is the wedding supper, the feast He promised. The marriage of the Lamb is come, the Bridegroom's here. With the revelation of His Word and His will, the Bride is making herself ready. The bride and the Bridegroom say come.
He's still here calling His elect....if you feel the pull after reading this, check into it....I've told you the truth, and I pray those who read this will have the eyes of their understanding enlightened.
God Bless You,
TheVisitor
