Allegory is a most interesting matter. No doubt God Spoke in allegories and acted through allegories throughout the text.
And most will be SCOFFERS of allegory, primarily because they are simply ignorant of these matters. I don't say that as a slur, but as a fact.
They are intentionally blinded by God to NOT SEE. So there is really nothing such can do about the matters. I could write of allegorical understandings and facts all the day long and 99% of the readers wouldn't have a clue anyway. It would seem like gibberish to them. And that's OK. It tells me 'where they are at.' Nothing more than that. God can change them if He so elects. Believers who share 'allegorical components' in PEACE and UNDERSTANDINGS are my favorite believers.
Those who scoff at ALLEGORY are in fact the SAME FOLK who are waiting for the END TIME showing over in Israel or in Jews or the Pope or the ANTI-Christ, whom by the way, as a single physical man will NEVER exist.
And those who live in that arena, the arena of LIVING ALLEGORY in their everyday life
are quite rare. I have had the Divine privilege to have shared with some of the finest Bible scholars that are on the planet currently, and there is hardly any that would know them or recognize them from their 'publications.' Any one of them would put any of the 'published' 'paid' scholars to utter shame. But you see that is how God Works. Those who are meant to know, will cross paths in rather Divine Fashions with such. And there is then 'an exchange' of GEMS that goes on completely without and apart from any monetary or 'authoritarian' commands.
That is partly why faith is a LIVING MATTER. Those who are caught up in LIFE will be caught up in Gods Training School. And such will be taught without expense in abundant and numerous ways. Even in false ways in order to measure out themselves, personally, with His Spirit and Word, facts or non facts in their spiritual life. There have been numerous 'teachers' in my own life who have opened up vast amounts of scriptures that many others will not and can not see because they are locked and loaded on some slant they were sold by someone else. That's not how it works. Those who buy the 'determinist' slants or the 'freewill' slants are really just playing childish games with the scriptures. Like little fighting children slapping each others. It's quite funny actually.
The avenues to understand God, His Ways, Works and Words are intentionally blocked out from the text to a very certain extent and for very specific reasons.
This does not mean God in Christ doesn't reach believers hearts or is not 'with them,' that is, WITHIN them,
upon their belief in faith through Christ, our Lord.
But the scriptures, the Words, the schemes, the history, the stories all,
are quite wrapped up in allegories, parables, similies, likenesses and 'as' terms. And 'as' such they will remain blocked from views.
This is partly why understanding Revelation or any matter in the text is problematic and also why there are so many divisions in the Body of Christ.
Some for example are standing around waiting for things to 'happen' with regards to Revelation,
as if they have bought tickets to the coming Circus.
The fact is, allegorically speaking,
God in Christ is incredibly active right before ones eyes at all times.
Startlingly so. Incredibly so.
Yet it ALL transpires beyond sensory perceptions.
Jesus was not pulling our leg, allegorically speaking, about this matter:
Luke 17:20
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees,
when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said,
The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Oh yes, there will in fact be signs abundant, just as there are presently. But most, including believers, will never see it happen.
Why?
Because Jesus said so.
God in Christ for a fact is THE PRESENTLY LIVING ONE, The Living Allegory.
He Himself has ALWAYS been ALIVE in the present, in REAL TIME, exactly in His Ways. And to each believer in particular, even if they do not see it or perceive it 'externally' through the sensory perception avenues of sight, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting.
All of these 'senses' also have 'spiritual' correlations. IN the text for example, to actually 'read' one must BE BLIND. Does that seem strange to you? In the sight of GOD blindness is sight. It is NOT the avenue of sight in the physical sense. There is a SPIRITUAL FORM of sight.
Just as there are with 'all' the other senses.
TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD!
Only the blatantly ignorant will equate that matter with a wafer of unleavened bread in their mouth. That form of 'taste' has nothing to do with 'taste' in the physical sensory arena.
But if such think it so, let them have their Circus. They will in fact TASTE little if anything other than a taste of self righteousness and external (false) piety.
And yes, those Ways of Him do have a culmination. A FINAL HARVEST when the last wheat crop is reaped. I could for example tell you exactly how it is going to go down for me because God has showed me. But it would probably disturb your senses...;)
I will say that it would be good for any believer to 'equip' themselves with their NEW SENSES as these will be the only senses that will operate in His Kingdom! So if you are expecting to see and to participate in His Arrival, if you see it that way, EQUIP! You will in fact be in DIRE NEED of these senses.
Otherwise you will kinda be like a blind deaf mute in the KINGDOM OF GOD IN CHRIST. But you'll get up to speed eventually. It's only because His Glory is so overwhelming that if ones senses are not honed to absorb and to reflect it is stunning. If you read of 'encounters' of Old Testament prophets they were often stunned in their physical senses, even quite disturbed, and for a considerable time in some cases afterwards. Those types of encounters tend to do that. John the Apostle for example, when given 'the' Revelation, fell as if DEAD at the first stage of his encounter. And it was perhaps good that he was in prison afterwards, so he could recuperate from the experience.
Patmos: ISLE OF MY KILLING.
As far as any particular believer is concerned their own END TIME is over upon the summation of their own life in this present world.
Antipas was a faithful witness and a martyr of Christ. Christ gives us some insight to these matters:
Rev. 2:
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Pergamos as it pertains to 'name association' meanings is height or elevation. Some might come to see that anytime one reads of mountains or hills in the text they are PEOPLE associative terms. For examples:
Deuteronomy 12:2
Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods,
upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
Psalm 72:3
The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and
the little hills,
by righteousness.
Psalm 114:6
Ye
mountains, that ye
skipped like rams; and ye little
hills,
like lambs?
Song of Solomon 2:8
The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
Is anybody 'getting the picture yet?'
If so, will post a bit more. If not, I know that your 'inner man' got a glimpse in any case!
To those who do not see, yes,
His Coming will be UNSEEN, even like, EMPHASIS LIKE, a THIEF.
They will as they say,
be BLIND sided.
I have much more to write about ANTIPAS. And those called into MARTYRdom will need to hear these matters.
so,
enjoy!
s
