The Language of the Bible

1
The Language of the Bible

• It is the glory of God to conceal a thing but
  the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
  (Proverbs 52)

2
The Language of the Bible

• Natural Language
• Symbols
• Objects, Places, Animals, Time periods
• Actions, Names, Colors, Directions
• Numbers
• Types / Antitypes
• People, Events, Offices, Institutions

3
The Natural The Symbol

• The natural language
• The language which details the natural creation,
  material things, persons, historical events etc.
• And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
  ground (Gen 27)
• And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall
  upon Adam, and he slept and he took one of his
  ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof
  (Gen 221)
• Is the language of symbols
• Man, deep sleep, one of his ribs, Eve

4
The Natural The Symbol Redemption

• The language of symbols
• Man, deep sleep, one of his ribs, Eve
• Tells the story of redemption
• The man, the 2nd Adam, Christ Jesus, is put to
  death (sleep) and from his death his bride Eve is
  created, or made to live.

5
Definitions

• Symbol, Type, Antitype

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Symbol, Type and Antitype

• Symbol (e.g. Altar, door, vine, root)
• Something that represents something else by
  association, resemblance, or convention. From
  two Greek words syn together ballein to throw.
  One thing that stands for another.
• Type (e.g. Adam, Solomon, Babylons overthrow)
• A figure, representation, or symbol of something
  to come, such as an event in the Old Testament
  that foreshadows another in the New Testament.
  From Greek tupos, impression. Something that
  foreshadows another thing. Types are inherently
  prophetic.
• Antitype (e.g. Jesus Christ, Romes overthrow)
• One that is foreshadowed by or identified with an
  earlier symbol or type, such as a figure in the
  New Testament who has a counterpart in the Old
  Testament. From two Greek words anti-, equal
  to, like tupos, print, impression.

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First that which is natural (I)

• And so it is written, The first man Adam was
  made a living soul the last Adam was made a
  quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first
  which is spiritual, but that which is natural
  and afterward that which is spiritual. The first
  man is of the earth, earthy the second man is
  the Lord from heaven. (1 Cor. 1545-47)

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First that which is natural (II)

• Natural Language (type)
• The first man Adam was made a living soul
• The first man is of the earth, earthy
• Spiritual Significance (antitype)
• the last Adam was made a quickening spirit
• the second man is the Lord from heaven

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First that which is natural (III)

• Romans 514 Nevertheless death reigned from
  Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned
  after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who
  is the figure (Gr. tupos, type) of him that was
  to come.
• Adam is the type of him that was to come

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Why God Uses Symbol and Type Guidelines for
InterpretingSymbol and Type
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Why God UsesSymbol and Type (I)

• It is to Gods glory
• It is the glory of God to conceal a thing but
  the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
  (Proverbs 52)
• The Truth only for those that fear Him
• The secret of the LORD is with them that fear
  him and he will shew them his covenant. (Psa
  2514)

12
Why God UsesSymbol and Type (II)

• The Truth only for His called
• Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And the
  disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest
  thou unto them in parables? He answered and said
  unto them, Because it is given unto you to know
  the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to
  them it is not given. (Matthew 139-11)

13
Why God UsesSymbol and Type (III)

• Only His servants will fully understand
  historical events in advance
• The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave
  unto him, to shew unto his servants things which
  must shortly come to pass and he sent and
  signified it by his angel unto his servant John
  (Revelation 11)
• John 1319 John 1429

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Why God UsesSymbol and Type (IV)

• The Apocalypse Revelation is a book of
  symbols, in which the greater is represented by
  the less. Its agents, and their operations, and
  its times preliminary to the thousand years, are
  all miniature representations of the
  realitygreat things illustrated by small. This
  is the rule of prophecy, whether the truth be
  stated literally or by symbolsthe verbal always
  falls short of the real, which is joy
  unspeakable and full of glory things which
  cannot be expressed. Because of the Spirits
  working by this rule it is that so much has been
  revealed in so small a book. It is a condensed
  view of the deep things of the Deity, which, if
  they had been magnitudinously revealed, I
  suppose, as John says, that even the kosmos
  itself could not contain the books that should be
  written.Condensation, then, is the general
  principle of divine revelation but of the
  symbols, it is the special. (Brother John
  Thomas, Eureka, vol 1. p. 257 Logos edition)

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Why God UsesSymbol and Type (V)

• The chapter before us Zechariah 4 presents
  this testimony in the form of symbol. This may
  be difficult at first to understand but the
  effect of symbol, after understanding is
  attained, is to make the matter set forth much
  more vivid and striking to the understanding than
  it would be in a merely literal presentation.
  Considerable use is made of symbol throughout the
  prophetic writings, though these writings mainly
  deal with the literal. Jehovah alludes to the
  fact in Hosea thusI have also spoken by the
  prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used
  similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets
  (Hosea 1210).
• If the similitudes were employed without any
  clue to their significance, their use would not
  be enlightening but the clues, in almost all
  cases, are suppliedif not in the immediate
  context, in some corresponding part of the word.
  Diligent search and comparison will find them.
  In some cases it requires no such search they
  lie on the surface. Brother Robert Roberts

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Guidelines for InterpretingSymbol and Type (I)

• Symbols or types do not, of themselves, establish
  first principle doctrine! Symbols and types must
  be interpreted in accordance with known first
  principle doctrine.
• Symbols and types, nevertheless, reveal important
  details not revealed elsewhere in the Bible. A
  large portion of the book of Revelation is an
  example of this but again, the symbols are to be
  interpreted in accordance with known first
  principle doctrine.
• The Bible interprets its own symbols. We must
  carefully consider the context of symbols used to
  properly understand them.

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Guidelines for InterpretingSymbol and Type (II)

• Symbols and types are just that, symbols and
  types. The natural language often prevents us
  from applying 100 of the natural language to the
  antitype. The persons, symbols or events are
  usually not perfect representations of the
  genuine.
• E.g. A tried faith resembles gold but is more
  valuable than gold and does not perish (1st Peter
  17).
• Hebrew and Greek references should be consulted
  rather than relying on just an English
  translation. There are multiple words translated
  into single English words and multiple English
  words translated from single Hebrew/Greek words.

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Guidelines for InterpretingSymbol and Type (III)

• The same symbol can be used to represent two
  different things.
• Thus, a woman can be the chaste bride of Christ
  (2nd Cor. 112) or she may be an imposter, the
  Roman Harlot (Rev. 171).
• A lion may be the Assyrian (Dan. 71) or a lion
  can be the King of Israel (Rev. 51).
• Most symbols have positive and negative
  significations.

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Guidelines for InterpretingSymbol and Type (IV)

• We must understand symbols and types if we are to
  properly understand the Bible. To understand
  these hidden treasures is to understand the
  message of the Bible and to greatly increase our
  faith!
• Misuse of types and symbols may lead to apostasy.
  Thus astrology vs. prophecy, astrology vs.
  astronomy, and numerology vs. Biblical numerics.
  The Preterist and Futurist interpretations of the
  book of Revelation, both which were created by
  the Catholic Church, are based on a
  misunderstanding of the Gospel and misuse of
  Biblical symbols.

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The Use of Symbols byThe Lord Jesus Christ

• Because it is given unto youto know the
  mysteries ofthe kingdom of heaven

21

• Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye
  have eternal life and they are they which
  testify of me. (John 539)
• And they said one to another, Did not our
  heart burn within us, while he Jesus talked
  with us by the way, and while he opened to us the
  Scriptures? (Luke 2432)

22
Jesus said, I am

• John 635 Jesus said unto them, I am the bread
  of life.
• John 641 I am the bread which came down from
  heaven. (641, 48, 51)
• John 812 Then spake Jesus again unto them,
  saying, I am the light of the world
• John 95 As long as I am in the world, I am
  the light of the world (John 1246)

23
Jesus said, I am

• John 107 Then said Jesus unto them again,
  Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of
  the sheep.
• John 109 I am the door by me if any man
  enter in, he shall be saved
• John 1011 I am the good shepherd the good
  shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
• John 1014 I am the good shepherd, and know my
  sheep, and am known of mine.

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Jesus said, I am

• John 151 I am the true vine, and my Father is
  the husbandman.
• John 155 I am the vine, ye are the branches
  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same
  bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can
  do nothing.

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They are they which testify of me

• Bread, light, door, shepherd, vine are all
  symbols by which Jesus chose to represent
  himself. He uses other symbols to represent
  himself as well.
• Other symbols in these few verses include
• the Husbandmen which Jesus explains is God
• Branches the sons of God those who dwell in the
  true vine
• Sheep the sons of God those who follow the true
  shepherd
• Fruit the righteousness character and works
  developed by the spirit of God in His people
  (Gal. 522-23 Eph 59)

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Symbols, Types and Doctrine

• Examples
• John 314-15
• Revelation 17-19

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Symbols, Types and Doctrine (I)

• John 314-15 And as Moses lifted up the
  serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
  of man be lifted up That whosoever believeth in
  him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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Symbols, Types and Doctrine (II)

• Numbers 215-9 And the people spake against
  God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought
  us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for
  there is no bread, neither is there any water
  and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the
  LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and
  they bit the people and much people of Israel
  died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and
  said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against
  the LORD, and against thee pray unto the LORD,
  that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses
  prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto
  Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon
  a pole and it shall come to pass, that every one
  that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall
  live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put
  it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a
  serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the
  serpent of brass, he lived.

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Symbols, Types and Doctrine (III)

• And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
  wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted
  up. That whosoever believeth in him should not
  perish, but have eternal life John 314-15
• Moses (person Num. 218, 9)
• The Father. He who raises up. For God so loved
  the world that he gave John 316
• Lifted Up Raising Up (action Num. 218, 9)
• Public manifestation of something. His
  righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight
  of the heathen Psa 982 Acts 232 Acts 1040
• People (persons Num. 216,7, 8)
• Those needing redemption from sin That
  whosoever believeth in him should not perish
  John 316
• Look (action Num. 218) when he looketh upon
  it, shall live
• To look upwards where salvation comes from to
  believe and publicly acknowledge what God has
  promised whosoever believeth in him.
• Brazen Serpent (symbol Num. 219)
• Brass represents the flesh. It was crucified
  and lifted up as Jesus Christ was.
• Shall Live (promised action Num 218)
• not perish, but have eternal life John 316.

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Symbols, Types and Doctrine (IV)

• Romans 83 For what the law could not do, in
  that it was weak through the flesh, God has
  done sending his own Son in the likeness of
  sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
  flesh
• Hebrews 214 Forasmuch then as the children
  are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
  likewise took part of the same that through
  death he might destroy him that had the power of
  death, that is, the devil
• Hebrews 217 Wherefore in all things it
  behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,
  that he might be a merciful and faithful high
  priest in things pertaining to God, to make
  reconciliation for the sins of the people

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Symbols, Types and Doctrine (V)

• What the law could not do, in that it was weak
  through the flesh, God (has done), sending His
  own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for
  sin condemned sin in the flesh." It was the same
  flesh, full of the same propensities, and the
  same desires. But, in Christ, all those desires
  were kept in subjection to the mind of God,
  because the Father, by the Spirit, taught him and
  led him from the beginning. (brother Robert
  Roberts, The Slain Lamb).
• Sin is a synonym for human nature. Hence the
  flesh is invariably regarded as unclean... This
  view of sin in the flesh is enlightening in the
  things concerning Jesus. The apostle says God
  made him to be sin for us... And this he
  explains by saying in another place that He sent
  His Own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
  for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Sin could
  not have been condemned in the body of Jesus if
  it had not existed there (Elpis Israel, page
  127).

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Symbols, Types and Doctrine (IV)

• Revelation 17 19

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The Language of the Bible

• Natural Language
• Symbols
• Objects, Places, Animals, Time periods
• Actions, Names, Colors, Directions
• Numbers
• Types / Antitypes
• People, Events, Offices, Institutions

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Symbols - Objects
35
Symbols DirectionsMoving or Facing East

• Natural principle
• The sun moves East to West
• Spiritual Principle
• We should move in the same direction that the
  Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 42) travels,
  that is west.
• Genesis 28 And the LORD God planted a garden
  eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom
  he had formed.
• Genesis 324 So he drove out the man and he
  placed at the east of the garden of Eden
  Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every
  way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

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Symbols DirectionsMoving or Facing East

• To move or face eastward often indicates
  apostasy.
• Genesis 416 And Cain went out from the presence
  of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the
  east of Eden.
• Genesis 112-3 And it came to pass, as they
  journeyed from the east, that they found a plain
  in the land of Shinar and they dwelt there. And
  they said one to another, Go to, let us make
  brick, and burn them throughly. And they had
  brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
• Genesis 1311 Then Lot chose him all the plain of
  Jordan and Lot journeyed east and they
  separated themselves the one from the other.

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Symbols DirectionsMoving or Facing East

• Genesis 128 And he Abram removed from thence
  unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and
  pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and
  Hai on the east and there he builded an altar
  unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the
  LORD.
• Isaiah 26 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy
  people the house of Jacob, because they be
  replenished from the east, and are soothsayers
  like the Philistines, and they please themselves
  in the children of strangers.
• Ezekiel 816 And he brought me into the inner
  court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the
  door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch
  and the altar, were about five and twenty men,
  with their backs toward the temple of the LORD,
  and their faces toward the east and they
  worshipped the sun toward the east.

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Symbols ActionsLying Down
39
Symbols ActionsRising Up
40
Symbols ColorsScarlet
41
Symbols ColorsWhite
42
Symbols NumbersThree (I)

• Denotes completion or perfection resurrection

43
Symbols Numbers Five
44
The Language of the Bible

• Natural Language
• Symbols
• Objects, Places, Animals, Time periods
• Actions, Names, Colors, Directions
• Numbers
• Types / Antitypes
• People, Events, Offices, Institutions

45
Types People Abraham
Detail Reference Antitype
His name Father of exaltation or exalted Father







46
Types People Joseph
47
Types People Samuel
48
Types People David
49
Types People Solomon
50
Types People Paul
51
Types EventsConquering Land of Canaan
52
Types EventsOverthrow of Babylon
53
Types EventsExodus from Egypt
54
Types EventsThe Sacrifice of Isaac
55
Written for Our Admonition!

• Now all these things happened unto them for
  ensamples (gr. tupos) and they are written for
  our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world
  are come.
• 5179 tu,poj tupos too'-pos AV - ensample 5,
  print 2, figure 2, example 2, pattern 2, fashion
  1, manner 1, form 1 16 1) the mark of a
  stroke or blow, print 2) a figure formed by a
  blow or impression