Symbols, Signs, Types, Allegories and Parables

TYPES AND FIGURES
The clean and unclean principle is found throughout the Bible. The essential challenge in discerning between good, clean, spiritual food and unclean, evil food is in evaluating who is serving the food. Here are the rules of thumb to follow when making these evaluations:

  • Food served by God or true prophets is good and safe to eat because it gives life to the spirit.
  • Food served by religious leaders and false prophets is unsafe because it only nourishes the soulish flesh and not the spirit.

STUDY TIP: See DISCERN BETWEEN CLEAN AND UNCLEAN, HOLY AND PROFANE, AND SOUL AND SPIRIT for understanding of the differences between soul and spirit.

The challenge is complicated by the fact that in the Bible and in real life we have no obvious clues that tell us who is a true prophet and who is a false prophet.

STUDY TIP: See Religion is the Kingdom of False Prophets for an extensive list of clues for identifying false prophets. Also see IDENTIFYING FALSE PROPHETS for a short list of such clues.

When reading the Bible, the challenge to discern between true and false prophets is further complicated by the fact that a Biblical character might be a false prophet in one place and a true prophet in another place. While they are false prophets they are Old/First Covenant religionists, and while true prophets they are New Covenant disciples. This reflects the fact that people, including Biblical characters, often change in terms of their attitudes about religion. Even Jesus was an Old/First Covenant religionist for the first thirty years of his life.

Here are a few examples of Bible characters who transitioned between Old/First Covenant (OC) and New Covenant (NC):

Adam
  1. Adam was created from dust (OC), and then breathed spiritual life into him (NC).
  2. He ate from the Tree of Life (NC), but later ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (OC).
Noah
  1. Noah was righteous in God’s eyes when he built and ark and delivered people from the flood. (NC)
  2. After the ark landed he planted a vineyard (i.e. got religious)(OC)
Abraham
  1. Abram was born in the region of Babylon. (OC)
  2. God invited Abram to leave his home region for a new land. (NC)
  3. Abraham’s first name was Abram (OC).His name (i.e. character) changed when he entered into the New Covenant with God (NC).
  4. In addition to fathering Isaac, who was a child of God’s promise (NC), he also had sons by Hagar and Keturah. These other sons and their sons were enemies of Israel. (OC)
Moses
  1. Moses was born and raised as a prince of Egypt (OC).
  2. He escaped from Egypt.
  3. He later returned to Egypt as a deliverer (NC).
  4. He challenged Pharaoh until he could lead Israel out of Egypt (NC)
  5. He listened to God, spoke what he heard to Israel, and introduced Israel to God (NC).
  6. He reported God’s laws to Israel (NC).
  7. He led Israel through the wilderness to the promised land (NC).
  8. He did not enter the promised land himself (OC).
Aaron
  1. Aaron spoke spoke to Pharaoh for Moses (NC).
  2. He listened to the people and created the Golden Calf (OC).
  3. He served as a high priest (NC).
  4. He was not allowed entry to the promised land (OC).
David
  1. David is introduced as a shepherd boy (OC).
  2. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel (NC).
  3. He was anointed twice by people (OC).
  4. He was a warrior king (NC).
  5. Once he stayed home when he should have been going to war (OC).
  6. He conspired to take another man’s wife.
Saul/Paul  ***
Peter Jesus complemented him for hearing from God and later called him satan.

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