Parables and other complex language in the Bible are often used to hide things. Jesus himself said in Matthew 13 that he speaks in parables so that only a very small select group may understand. Why is he hiding things, and how can we find the truth?
[A parable is a simple story that illustrates one or more points. An allegory is a story that reveals a hidden meaning. A metaphor compares one thing to another thing.]
If Bible parables wanted to take you into the light, they wouldn't be parables. Instead, the language would be perfectly clear. But there is a reason for the confusing language that wants to take you into the dark.
Bad news! Parables are hiding bad news.
We can see the bad news in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Here we get the parable, and Jesus interprets it for us. The parable says it's about a farmer and his crop problems. That's what it says. When Jesus interpreted it he got something completely different. It's bad news concerning the spread of Christianity. Most people would have generated a situation or scenario directly from the parable. Jesus didn't do that. He took the points from the parable and applied them to a situation completely independent of the parable.
The following key points show how to interpret parables:
1. Find the key concepts (points) of a parable or section.
2. Independently derive a real world scenario that is appropriate to the situation.
3. Apply the parable concepts to that existing real world scenario.
It's step #2 that you are probably missing.
Let's see how Jesus did it with the parable of the sower:
Parable of the sower:
Matthew 13:3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.
Matthew 13:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
Matthew 13:5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
Matthew 13:6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
Matthew 13:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
Matthew 13:8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Interpretation of the parable of the sower:
Matthew 13:18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
Matthew 13:20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
Matthew 13:21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
Matthew 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Matthew 13:23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The key points of the parable:
1. Seeds are being spread.
2. The farmer encounters three key problems: birds, stony (hard) places and thorns.
3. On good ground the crop is bountiful.
Meaning:
1. A seed represents anything that is expected to grow: word of the kingdom.
2. The seed being carried off: failure to understand the word.
3. Seeds on stony places and in thorns: the word not setting roots, and the word being slowly choked off
4. Good ground equals good crop: the word has a big impact.
The points of the parable relate back to a real world scenario: the spreading of Christianity.
You cannot derive a real world scenario directly from the parable. That's because the parable is designed to take you in the wrong direction. The real world scenario must be derived independently from the parable. The parable then adds value to the real world scenario.
Here's an example of an end-time real world scenario:
1. A series of wars.
2. Antichrist.
3. One or more wars.
4. The fake Jesus arrives, aka the false prophet.
5. The mark and the religion of demons.
6. The real Jesus returns.
That scenario is based on my understanding from the Bible of how the end-time events will play out. It's very simple and rough. The goal is to use parables and other complex language to add value to that scenario.
Let's look at Matthew 24:36-44: In the days of Noah
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of [f]heaven, but My Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what [g]hour your Lord is coming.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what [h]hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Remember. This is hiding bad news.
Key points
1. The days of Noah included a sudden catastrophic event - the flood. Only a very small select group survived. There was also the presence of demons.
2. Nobody knows the day or the hour = sudden unexpected catastrophic event.
3. Verses 40 and 41: I cover these below.
4. Verse 43: a recap of a sudden bad event that will harm and/or kill you.
5. Verse 44: the coming of Jesus means a sudden unexpected catastrophic event shortly before Jesus arrives.
I relate the above points to my end-time real world scenario.
Shortly before the arrival of Jesus when life is still normal, a sudden unexpected catastrophic event will kill you. Almost everyone will be killed. This all relates to end-time scenario item #1: a series of wars. Apparently, the first war will start with a surprise attack that wipes out most Christians in one or more lands.
Sitting in the background is the issue of demons - a large presence of demons.
Massive Demonic Presence on Earth Before Jesus Returns | Christian Forums
What about these verses:
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Verses 40 and 41 are at odds with the idea of a flood. A flood sweeps everybody away unless they are in some kind of shelter/boat/ark. These verses suggest that people are supernaturally plucked out of the earth. Either a flood is correct or supernatural selection is correct, but not both at the same time.
Being supernaturally plucked out of the earth is good news. But the whole point of parables and complex language is to hide bad news. It is likely that verses 40 and 41 are intended to hide the true meaning of this section.
Matthew 25:1-13: The parable of the wise and foolish virgins
Apparently, sleeping virgins are awakened to the cry that Jesus is coming. There is confusion concerning the foolish virgins. They aren't ready for the situation. They must do something but it takes too long. Jesus comes and rejects them.
It's a red flag when the Bible mentions the return of Jesus. It almost always means a time shortly before his actual return. This appears to be items #4, 5 and 6 from my end-time scenario.
The fake Jesus (false prophet) comes. Half of all Christians are confused by this. They ask the wise Christians for help but don't like the answer - accept death rather than take the mark. They seek to find the truth in the Bible but run out of time. The foolish virgins take the mark. The real Jesus shows up and rejects them.
Hey Foolish Virgins from Matthew 25:1-13: Did you hit your head or something? | Christian Forums
In order to cut through the confusion of parables and other complex language, I have developed the rules of confusion in the Bible.
Rules of confusion:
[In reference to parables, allegories, metaphors and other deliberately confusing language.]
[My intent is to apply these rules to end-times language.]
- the first rule of confusion in the Bible: If the Bible is confusing on an issue then it's that way on purpose. It's trying to confuse us on purpose. It's a feature, not a bug.
[Note: This is refers to confusing end-times language.]
- the second rule of confusion in the Bible: confusion hides bad news.
Question everything. Look for the hidden bad news. If confusing language presents bad news on the surface, then look for additional bad news underneath.
- the third rule of confusion in the Bible: If there are two conflicting verses in a section then the verses that require the most effort are the correct ones.
Why would Jesus talk about two conflicting issues at the same time as in Matthew 24:36-44? Here he talks about a flood (Matthew 24:38-39), and then separately a supernatural selection process (Matthew 24:40-41). Both can't be true at the same time. He is using misdirection so we will select the easy in Matthew 24:40-41. The easy way is the broad gate. We want the difficult way, the narrow gate. The correct answer is Matthew 24:38-39 which is the difficult way.
The Narrow Way
Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate;
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Matthew 7:14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
In the flood, only 8 people survived. Population estimates range from 1 million to several billion people. Those 8 people had to enter a shelter/ark to survive. Doing nothing means death.
- the fourth rule of confusion in the Bible: the return of Jesus is misdirection. In reality, it almost always refers to an event shortly preceding the return of Jesus.
There Are No Christians When Jesus Returns
When the Bible is talking about the return of Jesus it is almost always NOT talking about the day Jesus returns. It's talking about the decades preceding the actual day of his return. Big events (big wars) coming during that time. That's why we have to watch and be ready. These events will come on a day and hour that we do not expect. Unless we are watching closely and getting ready then we will be swept away unfavorably.
- the fifth rule of confusion in the Bible: don't ignore the multiple meanings of words.
If a thief can come unexpectedly, he can also come to take and to kill. In the time of Noah there was the flood and there were demons. Any reference to a flood also has demons in the background.
Those are the rules of confusion as applied to end-time language.
[A parable is a simple story that illustrates one or more points. An allegory is a story that reveals a hidden meaning. A metaphor compares one thing to another thing.]
If Bible parables wanted to take you into the light, they wouldn't be parables. Instead, the language would be perfectly clear. But there is a reason for the confusing language that wants to take you into the dark.
Bad news! Parables are hiding bad news.
We can see the bad news in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Here we get the parable, and Jesus interprets it for us. The parable says it's about a farmer and his crop problems. That's what it says. When Jesus interpreted it he got something completely different. It's bad news concerning the spread of Christianity. Most people would have generated a situation or scenario directly from the parable. Jesus didn't do that. He took the points from the parable and applied them to a situation completely independent of the parable.
The following key points show how to interpret parables:
1. Find the key concepts (points) of a parable or section.
2. Independently derive a real world scenario that is appropriate to the situation.
3. Apply the parable concepts to that existing real world scenario.
It's step #2 that you are probably missing.
Let's see how Jesus did it with the parable of the sower:
Parable of the sower:
Matthew 13:3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.
Matthew 13:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
Matthew 13:5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
Matthew 13:6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
Matthew 13:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
Matthew 13:8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Interpretation of the parable of the sower:
Matthew 13:18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
Matthew 13:20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
Matthew 13:21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
Matthew 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Matthew 13:23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The key points of the parable:
1. Seeds are being spread.
2. The farmer encounters three key problems: birds, stony (hard) places and thorns.
3. On good ground the crop is bountiful.
Meaning:
1. A seed represents anything that is expected to grow: word of the kingdom.
2. The seed being carried off: failure to understand the word.
3. Seeds on stony places and in thorns: the word not setting roots, and the word being slowly choked off
4. Good ground equals good crop: the word has a big impact.
The points of the parable relate back to a real world scenario: the spreading of Christianity.
You cannot derive a real world scenario directly from the parable. That's because the parable is designed to take you in the wrong direction. The real world scenario must be derived independently from the parable. The parable then adds value to the real world scenario.
Here's an example of an end-time real world scenario:
1. A series of wars.
2. Antichrist.
3. One or more wars.
4. The fake Jesus arrives, aka the false prophet.
5. The mark and the religion of demons.
6. The real Jesus returns.
That scenario is based on my understanding from the Bible of how the end-time events will play out. It's very simple and rough. The goal is to use parables and other complex language to add value to that scenario.
Let's look at Matthew 24:36-44: In the days of Noah
No One Knows the Day or Hour
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of [f]heaven, but My Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what [g]hour your Lord is coming.
43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what [h]hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Remember. This is hiding bad news.
Key points
1. The days of Noah included a sudden catastrophic event - the flood. Only a very small select group survived. There was also the presence of demons.
2. Nobody knows the day or the hour = sudden unexpected catastrophic event.
3. Verses 40 and 41: I cover these below.
4. Verse 43: a recap of a sudden bad event that will harm and/or kill you.
5. Verse 44: the coming of Jesus means a sudden unexpected catastrophic event shortly before Jesus arrives.
I relate the above points to my end-time real world scenario.
Shortly before the arrival of Jesus when life is still normal, a sudden unexpected catastrophic event will kill you. Almost everyone will be killed. This all relates to end-time scenario item #1: a series of wars. Apparently, the first war will start with a surprise attack that wipes out most Christians in one or more lands.
Sitting in the background is the issue of demons - a large presence of demons.
Massive Demonic Presence on Earth Before Jesus Returns | Christian Forums
What about these verses:
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Verses 40 and 41 are at odds with the idea of a flood. A flood sweeps everybody away unless they are in some kind of shelter/boat/ark. These verses suggest that people are supernaturally plucked out of the earth. Either a flood is correct or supernatural selection is correct, but not both at the same time.
Being supernaturally plucked out of the earth is good news. But the whole point of parables and complex language is to hide bad news. It is likely that verses 40 and 41 are intended to hide the true meaning of this section.
Matthew 25:1-13: The parable of the wise and foolish virgins
Apparently, sleeping virgins are awakened to the cry that Jesus is coming. There is confusion concerning the foolish virgins. They aren't ready for the situation. They must do something but it takes too long. Jesus comes and rejects them.
It's a red flag when the Bible mentions the return of Jesus. It almost always means a time shortly before his actual return. This appears to be items #4, 5 and 6 from my end-time scenario.
The fake Jesus (false prophet) comes. Half of all Christians are confused by this. They ask the wise Christians for help but don't like the answer - accept death rather than take the mark. They seek to find the truth in the Bible but run out of time. The foolish virgins take the mark. The real Jesus shows up and rejects them.
Hey Foolish Virgins from Matthew 25:1-13: Did you hit your head or something? | Christian Forums
In order to cut through the confusion of parables and other complex language, I have developed the rules of confusion in the Bible.
Rules of confusion:
[In reference to parables, allegories, metaphors and other deliberately confusing language.]
[My intent is to apply these rules to end-times language.]
- the first rule of confusion in the Bible: If the Bible is confusing on an issue then it's that way on purpose. It's trying to confuse us on purpose. It's a feature, not a bug.
[Note: This is refers to confusing end-times language.]
- the second rule of confusion in the Bible: confusion hides bad news.
Question everything. Look for the hidden bad news. If confusing language presents bad news on the surface, then look for additional bad news underneath.
- the third rule of confusion in the Bible: If there are two conflicting verses in a section then the verses that require the most effort are the correct ones.
Why would Jesus talk about two conflicting issues at the same time as in Matthew 24:36-44? Here he talks about a flood (Matthew 24:38-39), and then separately a supernatural selection process (Matthew 24:40-41). Both can't be true at the same time. He is using misdirection so we will select the easy in Matthew 24:40-41. The easy way is the broad gate. We want the difficult way, the narrow gate. The correct answer is Matthew 24:38-39 which is the difficult way.
The Narrow Way
Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate;
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
Matthew 7:14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
In the flood, only 8 people survived. Population estimates range from 1 million to several billion people. Those 8 people had to enter a shelter/ark to survive. Doing nothing means death.
- the fourth rule of confusion in the Bible: the return of Jesus is misdirection. In reality, it almost always refers to an event shortly preceding the return of Jesus.
There Are No Christians When Jesus Returns
When the Bible is talking about the return of Jesus it is almost always NOT talking about the day Jesus returns. It's talking about the decades preceding the actual day of his return. Big events (big wars) coming during that time. That's why we have to watch and be ready. These events will come on a day and hour that we do not expect. Unless we are watching closely and getting ready then we will be swept away unfavorably.
- the fifth rule of confusion in the Bible: don't ignore the multiple meanings of words.
If a thief can come unexpectedly, he can also come to take and to kill. In the time of Noah there was the flood and there were demons. Any reference to a flood also has demons in the background.
Those are the rules of confusion as applied to end-time language.
