Why Signs, Symbols, Allegory?
"PROVE ALL THINGS BIBLE STUDY"
WHY SIGNS, SYMBOLS, ALLEGORY?
"He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given" (Matt. 13:11).
1. What are the signs of Gen. 1:14?
"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also" (Gen. 1:14-16). God will also be using these same heavenly bodies, in the near future, to herald Jesus Christ's return to this earth. "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars" (Luke 21:25).
2. Can we see the spiritual by looking at the physical?
YES! "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Rom. 1:20). We can learn from the physical, to see the spiritual. "There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1 Cor. 15:40,44-49).
3. What do the signs of heaven represent?
The signs of heaven represent a silent gospel being preached every hour, day, month and year! "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister" (Col. 1:23). "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof" (Psa. 19:1-4,6).
Let's look into each one of these objects and see what they represent for us today. The Word of God says we could look at the physical and see the spiritual.
4. What do the heavens represent?
The heavens represent God the Father's throne. His throne is in the heaven of heavens. His power and glory are seen in the heavens. "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isa. 66:1). "But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:" (Matt. 5:34). "The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men" (Ps. 11:4). "The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all" (Ps. 103:19).
5. What does the sun represent?
The sun represents Christ. "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psa. 84:11). "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall" (Mal. 4:2). The sun is the central power of our universe. It gives the energy and light that the earth needs to survive. Christ is the power and energy of His called out ones. We cannot have truth and light without him.
6. What does the moon represent?
The moon represents the mother. Who is the mother as spoken of by the Word of God? "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all" (Gal. 4:26). In the physical world, all true knowledge came from God out of Jerusalem. The whole of the Bible is centered around the Palestine area. When Christ returns, He will return to Jerusalem. "And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (Isa .2:3). "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: (Prov. 1:8). "My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother" (Prov. 6:20). The moon is to keep us in the remembrance of the true calendar that is given by the law which was given to us out of Zion. By the month and seasons we know when to keep God's Holy Days. If we follow the time, when it comes to Jerusalem, we know we will always be in harmony with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. "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" (Heb. 12:22).
7. What do the stars represent?
The stars represent the saints. The saints are the Church, God's called out ones. "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" (Dan. 12:3). The stars are light generating bodies. They are scattered all over the universe. They are little suns. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Matt. 13:43). The collective body of saints are called the woman. "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" (Rev. 12:1).
In summary, we see that the silent gospel is being preached every day and every month and every year. (see our article titled ~cogit/signpost.htm/"God's Creation ... His Silent Gospel!) We know that God's plan and purpose is at work when we look into the heavens and see the sun, moon and stars. God has shown us that he uses the creation to show His handiwork! The signs keep us in remembrance of His Laws, His calendar, His Sabbaths and His Holy Days.
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