Symbols in the word of God.

[37818]

This is a type of study many others have done. What I have observed is it is plagued speculations.

If you have an understanding of a Biblical symbol please present it. And if you disagree present the bases for that disagreement.

Revelation is commonly believed to be largely symbollic.

 

[AustinC]

Be more specific please.

Symbol: The Passover Lamb in Exodus

Reality: Jesus, the Lamb who was slain for all who believe.

Symbol: Isaac, the only Son, sacrificed to God.

Reality: Jesus, God the Son, sacrificed to redeem all who believe.

The scriptures all point us to Jesus.
Revelation is an exercise in looking at a picture book and saying "Where's Jesus." As Sinclair Ferguson said, "It's like a Where's Waldo book, but we are constantly to look and see Jesus."

 

[JonC]

Are we talking about symbols (something that represents something else....like the candlesticks in Revelation) or foreshadowing (an indication of what's to come, like the Passover in Exodus)?

 

[canadyjd]

I think context always determines whether symbolism is being used. I recall Moses being told by God to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole (Numbers 24?) and walk around the camp and all who looked in it would live if they were bitten by the serpent.

I doubt anyone understood the symbolism until Jesus told us in John that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.

Literally 1000 years before the Romans instituted crucifixion, it was symbolized by Moses.

peace to you

 

[Alan Gross]

Different than OP, but interesting.

"Welcome to the 'Bullinger's Figures of Speech Used in the Bible' on StudyLight.org!

"Containing 202 entries cross-referenced and cross-linked to other resources on StudyLight.org, this resource can be classified as a required reference book for any good study library.

"All language is governed by law; but, in order to increase the power of a word, or the force of an expression, these laws are designedly departed from, and words and sentences are thrown into, and used in, new forms, or figures. The ancient Greeks reduced these new and peculiar forms to science, and gave names to more than two hundred of them."

Bullinger's Figures of Speech Used in the Bible - StudyLight.org

 

[kyredneck]

Revelation is commonly believed to be largely symbollic.

Lol, ya think? I believe 'allegorical' or 'spiritual' would be the better descriptor.

This is interesting:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The Revelation of Yeshua The Messiah, which God gave to him, to show his Servants what had been given to soon occur, and he symbolized it when he sent by his Angel to his Servant Yohannan, Rev 1:1

 

[37818]

Are we talking about symbols (something that represents something else....like the candlesticks in Revelation) or foreshadowing (an indication of what's to come, like the Passover in Exodus)?

Revelation 1:20 is well known. As is in Revelation 17.

 

[Alan Gross]

and he symbolized it

That is exactly what He Said He Did.

A philosophy of, "taking it Literal (Letterism), UNLESS the CONTEXT Calls for a Symbolic Interpretation", is in error on its face, in opposition to the CLEAR REVELATION of GOD, i.e., "and he symbolized it"/

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him,
to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass;
and he sent and signified it by his angel ..."
Revelation 1:1

 

[37818]

That is exactly what He Said He Did.

A philosophy of, "taking it Literal (Letterism), UNLESS the CONTEXT Calls for a Symbolic Interpretation", is in error on its face, in opposition to the CLEAR REVELATION of GOD, i.e., "and he symbolized it"/

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him,
to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass;
and he sent and signified it by his angel ..."
Revelation 1:1

literal words signify meanings. Directly and indirectly. What is obviously indirect are symbolic. To interpert direct statements as symbolic is error.

 

[Alan Gross]

literal words signify meanings. Directly and indirectly. What is obviously indirect are symbolic. To interpert direct statements as symbolic is error.

"A thousand years" is symbolic, just like all the other numbers on Revelation.

 

[37818]

"A thousand years" is symbolic, just like all the other numbers on Revelation.

A false assertion. The thousand years is a direct statement. Can you point out it's symbolic meaning were it cannot mean an actual one thousand years?

 

[AustinC]

A false assertion. The thousand years is a direct statement. Can you point out it's symbolic meaning were it cannot mean an actual one thousand years?

The 1,000 Years of Revelation 20 – CPRC

 

[Alan Gross]

A false assertion. The thousand years is a direct statement. Can you point out it's symbolic meaning were it cannot mean an actual one thousand years?

…
THE BOOK of REVELATION
Describes Events in Predictive Prophecy,
as THE REVELATION of
Recurring
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES
that Will Take Place,
throughout History,
as HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF,
with regard to Those
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES that
GOD REVEALS, SYMBOLICALLY,
(‘IN PICTURES’. )
…
These are Sixty-Six
NEW TESTAMENT Passages, (at this link: 9.0.0 > NT Intro iv: SIXTY-SIX NEW TESTAMENT Verses Teach The SECOND COMING of JESUS CHRIST & THE END of TIME.
in which
THE TRIUNE GODHEAD
REVEALS and TEACHES
THE SECOND COMING
of JESUS CHRIST
at THE END of TIME
(w/o Revelation),
as
ALL of THE STRAIGHTFORWARD,
NEW TESTAMENT VERSES
TEACHING
THE SECOND COMING of JESUS
( PAROUSIA )
and
THE END of THE EARTH,
from
‘The Didactic New Testament’,
i.e., The Gospels, The Book of Acts,
and The Epistles.
…
THE SECOND COMING of JESUS
( PAROUSIA )
and
THE END of THE EARTH
WILL BE:
God’s Consummation of All Things
and
The End of Time.

Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats, at His Second Coming, and there is no further time of any kind for anyone to have a second chance of salvation.

 

[Alan Gross]

The 1,000 Years of Revelation 20 – CPRC

Very good. Perfect.

I, personally, maintain a difference between the churches of the Lord (such as the 7 churches of Asia) and what he is describing what I would call, 'all living saved souls', or 'The Kingdom of God', when he says, "one, holy, catholic, apostolic church".

Other than that, it is a saved to my desktop Winner!

 

[kyredneck]

The thousand years is a direct statement.

These are direct statements:

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. Ps 50

8 Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning,
10 standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. Rev 18

 

[37818]

…
THE BOOK of REVELATION
Describes Events in Predictive Prophecy,
as THE REVELATION of
Recurring
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES
that Will Take Place,
throughout History,
as HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF,
with regard to Those
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES that
GOD REVEALS, SYMBOLICALLY,
(‘IN PICTURES’. )
…
These are Sixty-Six
NEW TESTAMENT Passages, (at this link: 9.0.0 > NT Intro iv: SIXTY-SIX NEW TESTAMENT Verses Teach The SECOND COMING of JESUS CHRIST & THE END of TIME.
in which
THE TRIUNE GODHEAD
REVEALS and TEACHES
THE SECOND COMING
of JESUS CHRIST
at THE END of TIME
(w/o Revelation),
as
ALL of THE STRAIGHTFORWARD,
NEW TESTAMENT VERSES
TEACHING
THE SECOND COMING of JESUS
( PAROUSIA )
and
THE END of THE EARTH,
from
‘The Didactic New Testament’,
i.e., The Gospels, The Book of Acts,
and The Epistles.
…
THE SECOND COMING of JESUS
( PAROUSIA )
and
THE END of THE EARTH
WILL BE:
God’s Consummation of All Things
and
The End of Time.

Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats, at His Second Coming, and there is no further time of any kind for anyone to have a second chance of salvation.

In all of that, you still assume what the Scriptures do not teach about His one second appearing.
And did not explicitly address my question I asked you.

A false assertion. The thousand years is a direct statement. Can you point out it's symbolic meaning were it cannot mean an actual one thousand years?

There is only that one second appearing.

 

[George Antonios]

Lol, ya think? I believe 'allegorical' or 'spiritual' would be the better descriptor.

This is interesting:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The Revelation of Yeshua The Messiah, which God gave to him, to show his Servants what had been given to soon occur, and he symbolized it when he sent by his Angel to his Servant Yohannan, Rev 1:1

You may laugh but many do not. I believe Revelation is almost entirely literal, the symbolic complement notwithstanding.

 

[AustinC]

You may laugh but many do not. I believe Revelation is almost entirely literal, the symbolic complement notwithstanding.

So there's a literal dragon and a literal beast?
There are literal lampstands and stars?
There's a literal Lion of Judah and a literal Lamb that is slain?
Hmmm....

 

[Alan Gross]

In all of that, you still assume what the Scriptures do not teach about His one second appearing.
And did not explicitly address my question I asked you.


There is only that one second appearing.

Can you point out it's symbolic meaning were it cannot mean an actual one thousand years?

DONE, by AusinC: The 1,000 Years of Revelation 20 – CPRC

In all of that, you still assume what the Scriptures do not teach about His one second appearing.

All those scriptures express one second coming, at THE END of TIME.

Example: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." II Peter 3:10.

There is only that one second appearing.

True and all those scriptures TEACH IT. No idea of any more years added after Jesus' Return. And no "second chance, for Jews, or anyone else.

 

[Alan Gross]

Very good. Perfect.

I, personally, maintain a difference between the churches of the Lord (such as the 7 churches of Asia) and what he is describing what I would call, 'all living saved souls', or 'The Kingdom of God', when he says, "one, holy, catholic, apostolic church".

Other than that, it is saved to my desktop Winner!

Another thread: The Distinction Between the Lord's New Testament Church and the Kingdom of GOD.