Keys To Unlock Your Bible (Part 2)

Some may ask “Why does God lock the truth?” The answer is because it is very precious and not to be dishonoured and misused. This is exactly as you human would store and lock your precious valuables in safes and complicated lockers. Thank God! How to open it is in Isaiah 34:16, where one needs to search and seek in the word of God for those verses; for every verse has “its mate”. This refers to every verse of question having a corresponding or answering verse.

There is a great difference between Isaiah 28 verses 10 and 13. The last verse is concerned with getting caught in false doctrines and errors of untruth. Then how does one know what is truth? Jn. 17:17 answers “… thy word is truth”. Always examine the teachings to see whether they are according to the Scriptures in a well or properly laid out manner.

Ø GOLDEN KEY 2: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Among mankind written language has many forms poetical, dramatic, prose etc. So too, the Bible has been written by God in three forms of language:

i. Literal Language: Example as in Gen. 1:1 and Matt. 1:21. Here is directly understandable literal language. It poses no difficulty in understanding at all. But note the entire Bible is NOT written in this form.

ii. Parabolic language i.e. little stories which are not to be taken literally but spiritually, that is, they have a spiritual meaning or significance behind them e.g. in Lk. 15:3-7 the parable of the lost sheep. Many think that this verse in 7 refers to individual sinners and their repentance and turning to God. But if this refers to individual sinners then who are the “Ninety nine just persons that need no repentance”? Are there so many “Just Persons” in this world? The answer is in Rms. 3:10 “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one”. This is a parable, not referring to individual sinners at all.

Here, Jesus is speaking of a certain man having 100 sheep. Such a man is called a shepherd. This is a picture of God the owner and creator of all creation who is also referred to as the “SHEPHERD” in Ps. 23:1. The sheep symbolize the various obedient creations of God. Therefore, the 100 sheep refer to the various species of God's creations, including animals, birds, fish, insects, plants, angels, cherubim, man, etc. The number 100 signifies a round number of all creations; note the creations themselves far outnumbered 100!
Now, what is the implication of this one sheep missing? Of all God's creation, only one “sheep” or “specie” was lost, and that specie was mankind! They are completely as a race lost to sin and its wages death (Rms. 6:23). Then what did God do? He sent in his only begotten son, Jesus, to search for that “lost sheep” i.e. the lost race of mankind as in Jn. 3:16; so that at the end there will be great rejoicing in heaven when mankind is delivered from the condemnation of sin and death and given an ETERNAL LIFE.
iii. Symbolic language. This is where symbols are used to hide the meaning of great prophecies etc. The Book of Revelation is full of symbols as in chapter 1:1 “… And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John. This language is also found in many other books of the Bible like in Ezekiel, Daniel, etc. Symbols in nature like wind, water, hill, mountain, city, clouds, trees, grass, horns, fire, etc. are used; and each has its meaning as in the Bible itself.
Take an example in Matt. 16:6 “leaven”. The meaning is still in the same chapter v.12 “… the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. These where false doctrines and teachings; as in Acts 23:8 “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor Spirit.
Another example is in Eccl. 11:1 “Cast your bread upon the waters: for you will find it after many days.” If this is taken literally, the bread as soon as put in water dissolves almost immediately, leaving no residue. So, how can you find it “after many days'? This is symbolic. The three symbols used here are: i. Bread. ii. Water. iii. After many days. Bread means the word of God the “Spiritual bread (Jer. 15:16 and Matt. 4:4). Waters refer to the World of “peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues (Rev. 17:15). “After many days” refers to the period of the kingdom of God on Earth when “then will all the people repent and turn to God (Ps. 22:27&28). Thus, this verse speaks of witnessing the truth Now before the people without expecting any result Now but rather in the future. Thus, one must “rightly divide the word of truth” or correctly identify and understand the language form used in order to gain the truth.

Ø GOLDEN KEY 3. Topical Study: This involves the study of various subjects by searching for the verses on those subjects “here a little and there a little” in the Bible; e.g. are subjects of Soul, Salvation, Baptism, Church etc. This topical study is now made possible with Concordances, Young and Strong etc.
So, a mere reading of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, from Chapter to Chapter will not really help to discover the truth embedded, for it is “here a little and there a little”. BE BLESSED!