Name changes in the Bible are an amazing study in themselves.
And this primarily speaks to our promised change, noted here by Paul:
Philippians 3:21
Who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
With these name changes it very much speaks to the above promise of the Gospel, and this is part of what is reflected in "name changes." The Gospel is "preached" in this matter, speaking of our hope and promise in Christ. We are first, a natural body, then afterwards, a Spiritual Body. This is the basic meaning of name changes in their allegorical conveyances.
So, a little name dancing allegory fun below.
Saul. O.T. first king of Israel. Stood head and shoulders above his fellow Israelites. (Picture, a big natural flesh man.) Who did God end up blessing? The SECOND king. David (beloved.)! Do you see the picture of the Gospel there? I certainly DO.
Move to Saul of the N.T. soon to be Paul. Saul/Paul was even of the TRIBE of Benjamin, the same tribe as SAUL. The meaning of Paul? small. The opposite picture of Saul, the first king. You think God in Christ wasn't speaking in this matter?
Jesus termed James and John as "sons of thunder" in another example of surnames from Mark 3:17.
On the other side of the ledgers, in name studies in the O.T. in observing the links to the Hebrew meanings of the names of adversaries to Israel there are totally fascinating meanings to the names of these various enemies. And this is also by Divine Intention. And all of these, names, places, everything, will show how our "adversaries" work in this world. It's completely fascinating.
IN the N.T. name, Herod, meaning,
hero in outward appearance. Significant? Of course. That is the showing of a "flesh" leader. An "external" world leader. A picture of a natural flesh man who dominates by what? Survival of the fittest, the LAW of the FLESH.
Pontius Pilate? Meaning? Pontius: "of the sea." Pilate: "with spear in hand." Significant? Very. The whore of Babylon sits in "waters." When we read of "sea or waters" it is an associated term. What is the meaning of the waters where this whore sits? People. Waters in her case are PEOPLE, not waters. She allegorically SITS in the seas of HUMANITY. IN cases in the O.T. we can see that the great dragon, Satan, resides where? IN the sea. Isaiah 27:1. Meaning = "in the people." Acts 26:18 shows the SAME THING.
When we are 'fishers of men" we fish them from this SEA where SATAN sits. We are even shown in the O.T. that the "fishes of the sea" STICK to the scales of the great dragon (Ezekiel 29:3-5). This is MAN in captivity to SATAN in the "seas" of confusion. All conveyed allegorically, in the O.T. and brought to LIGHT in the N.T.
In addressing the churches in Rev. Jesus had hard things to say to every believer as we are advised to listen
to ALL that the Spirit says
to ALL the churches, not just the "good stuff." I've written out several long dissections of some of these allegorical study matters. Unfortunately these are often met with resistance.
Even in the term the "churches in Asia," Asia is, essentially "in or of the east." The direction of east in correlative meanings from the O.T.
is the direction of EVIL. The message then is to the churches, which were then and are presently "in evil." If we read about all the dire things to said churches the works of Satan are addressed to these churches, and their members. So, yeah, evil. Not all is as it appears to be with surface glances. Every jot and tittle is critical information. This is also why I'm picky about "loose paraphrase" translations. Because internal information falls by the wayside when the "jots and tittles" are overly tampered with. The Word is meant to be studied through allegory, parable and similitude "rules." There are vast amounts of internal critical data embedded in names, places, nations, and even in studies of O.T. laws and rituals. For example, in 1 Cor. 9:9-10, Paul takes an obscure law out of the O.T. law of Moses and derives
an entirely DIFFERENT meaning from that law than "how" it is actually written in the O.T. And further then claims his dissection
is really "as it is written." I asked myself "how did he manage to DO THAT?!" I rolled up my scribe sleeves and figured it out. An "ox" is a puller of a plow. The "plow" divides the earth...a picture of the natural man. It is in "dividing" the natural man (of the earth) from his captor that the "seed" of the Gospel is planted, in HOPE. This is the "allegorical picture" of the OX and the PLOW. It is a PREACHER of the Gospel dividing a 'natural man" from his "enemy" in the earth and seeding the GOSPEL in that ground. Get it? It took me a good long while to see "how" Paul got there, but I eventually
got it.
The studies of allegories, parables and similitude will "unfold" HOW Paul got there on these subjects. It is PAUL who opened up this "allegorical territory" for us to follow.
It is deeply deeply fascinating.
In Jesus declarations for example that He is against the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, the meaning of that name is "destruction of the people." What is Jesus against?
Destruction of the people. We don't have to try to unearth any history to get to the bottom line, as the "spiritual message" is right there in the name, to be had.
In our own names, places, etc. we will find God's Living Word, as Parables, even with us. We just didn't see it through the EYES of Spiritual Sights, which are allegorically based.
So, DIVE IN. The waters are deep enough for everyone to swim in. Ezekiel 45:7
This is one of the best/fast linked sites I've found. Have used it for a long time.
http://www.linkedword.com/gen/1/-1/0
