GETTING TO THE RIGHT SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION OF “WORLD”
The challenge to apply the right meaning of “world” is greatly confused in Bible study where we must keep in mind that we are ultimately looking for the symbolic meaning of words — not just the literal meanings. For purposes of this page, we will simplify this process by sifting through some of the various possibilities that exist to get to the meaning, or meanings, that, in our opinion, are most important.
We will do that by first looking at scriptures in which the context of the use of “world” is in conjunction with kingdoms:
STUDY TIP: See Serpent, Devil, Satan, Adversary, Demons, Evil Spirits and Anti-Christs for the right understanding of the devil.
COMMENTARY: Here we see clearly that Jesus is not the king of the world. But if people live in the natural world, how can he not be king of the world? The only answer is that the term world does not refer to the physical, natural world. We find the answer clarified in Luke 17:21 that the kingdom of God is within us — not in the physical world. In other words, God’s kingdom exists in the spirit of New Covenant disciples (i.e. people who hear God’s voice.)
COMMENTARY: We learn here that the world, whatever it is, is not something to which God wants people to be conformed. Knowing from other scriptures mentioned above that the Devil is the ruler of all the kingdoms of the world, we conclude that God does not want his people to be conformed to the Devil’s kingdom or the Devil’s world. We also conclude from this scripture that no one who is conformed to the Devil’s world is able to prove (i.e. analyze, approve, examine) God’s will.
COMMENTARY: A better way to interpret this verse is that the kingdom of the Devil becomes the kingdom of God. We must be careful, however, to think that this transfer is a singular event as is implied in “has become” which suggests that the change is global and affects everyone all at one time. Rather, it is a series of one-person-at-a-time events in which the ruler of each person (i.e. the person’s mind) stops taking direction from religious leaders of the World of Religion and instead obeys the command to listen to God’s voice. In other words, they are transformed by the renewal of their minds from being Old/First Covenant religionists into being New Covenant disciples. God describes this transformation as being born again. |
We find the New Testament scriptures especially instructive because they contrast God’s kingdom with the kingdoms of the world over which the Devil has authority. We conclude from the stories of the Temptation of Christ that there are basically two types of kingdoms: The array of many religious kingdoms of the world that are ruled by the Devil, and the one, unified kingdom that is ruled by God (i.e. the Kingdom of God/Heaven).
STUDY TIP: See Cities, Kingdoms and Nations and Kingdom of God/Heaven for an understanding of the symbolic meaning of the two kingdoms.
Also see Serpent, Devil, Satan, Adversary, Demons, Evil Spirits and Anti-Christs for understanding of the Devil.
Knowing that there are only two kinds of kingdoms is the clue we need to understand what God means when he uses the word “world.” Because it is not easy to come to this understanding, we will begin by giving our summary of what God means.
First, we must discard the conventional understanding of “world” as the physical planet earth. God is not unconcerned with the physical world, but he is primarily concerned with the spiritual world. And since his kingdom (i.e. world) is within people, he is primarily concerned with people.
Second, we must acknowledge that there is a sense in which “world” applies to all people. More importantly, however, we must consider that there is a specific population of the greater world to which God is first speaking in most scriptures: Old/First Covenant religionists. This includes Jews and Christians who have based their religious beliefs and practices on a literal interpretation of Old/First Covenant scriptures. There are many scriptures that testify to this fact. We begin by looking at these that tell us that the Messiah was first sent to the Jews:
Matthew 10:1-8: And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zeb’edee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.
COMMENTARY: Jesus says clearly that his first ministry is to the Jews. Calling them “lost sheep of Israel” indicates that he is referring to Jews in a religious sense. Obviously they were not physically lost but they were spiritually lost. This supports the conclusion that references to the world are to the religious world — not to the physical world or to the world of people in general.
This conclusion is verified in the exhortation to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demons. These are all symbolic references to spiritual healing and deliverance as we reported in Sickness, Disease, Blindness and Deafness and in Serpent, Devil, Satan, Adversary, Demons, Evil Spirits and Anti-Christs.
For an understanding of the spiritual meaning of the Jews to whom Jesus’ disciples were sent, see Israel, Jerusalem, Jews, Christians and Gentiles.
John 1:1-12: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. 9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;
COMMENTARY: The world into which Jesus was born and in which he conducted his ministry was the religious world of the Jews. But the world of the religious Jews did not accept him. Some Jews did accept him but once they did accept him, they were no longer in the category of the religious world of the Jews.
Matthew 10:23: When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes.
COMMENTARY: This provides further evidence that the focus of Jesus ministry is to the religious world of Israel.
John 12:46: I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
COMMENTARY: Jesus was first a light to the Jews. Thus it can be said that he was a light to the world of religious Jews because religion is what distinguishes Jews from all other people.
1 John 3:1: See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
COMMENTARY: The main part of the religious world of the Jews that did not accept Jesus was the religious leaders (e.g. Pharisees, Sadducees, etc.). Not only did the religious leaders not accept Jesus, they maneuvered to have him killed because he threatened their world (i.e.their religious control over Jewish religionists). Many rank and file religious Jews (including the twelve disciples) did come to know Jesus and accept him.
Acts 3:11-26: While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s, astounded. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people, “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong whom you see and know; and the faith which is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. 17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God gave to your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
Romans 15:8-13: For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise thee among the Gentiles, and sing to thy name”; 10 and again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”; 11 and again, “Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”; 12 and further Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
While we are arguing that the world to which Jesus was referring was the religious world of the Jews, we must also allow that he did have Gentiles also in mind for future ministry as we see in these scriptures:
Matthew 15:21-28: And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Acts 13:42-48: As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next sabbath. 43 And when the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and reviled him. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.'”
Matthew 13:1-23: That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
COMMENTARY: It is impossible to understand this parable without understanding the symbolism:
| Sower | New Covenant disciples whom God has sent to speak for him to people in the world of religion who have hard hearts that prevent them from hearing God’s spoken voice. Sowers include true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses, warriors and apostles. |
| Seeds | God’s spoken word which is symbolically contained in the fruit of trees of life. |
| “went out to sow” | New Covenant disciples are committed to loving their neighbors as themselves. This means that they, like Jesus, share (i.e. sow) what God tells them to share. They, like Jesus, are empowered to speak for God because God has anointed them to speak for him. |
| Rocky ground |
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| Scorched by sun |
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| Birds |
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| Root | God’s Spoken Word |
| Thorns | Religious people. Trees of knowledge of good and evil. See Wood (trees) for understanding. |
| thorns choked them (i.e. seeds) | Religious people use deception to choke the seed of God’s spoken word so it can’t take root. Thorns use the literal Bible, smooth speech, and appeals to pride and acceptance in the religious community to convince people who have heard God’s voice that they should reject what they have heard and remain faithful to religion. See the story of Jesus’ temptation for understanding of how religious people try to convince people who have heard God’s voice to deny what they have heard. |
| Good soil | Clean, pure hearts. |
| Grain | People in whom spiritual seed has been sown and who have grown into God’s image, and have been harvested so that they will provide spiritual food for God and others. |
| Volumes of grain (i.e. 30, 60, 100 fold). | Measures of spiritual seed that is sown by New Covenant disciples who love their neighbors as themselves by sharing the true gospel. |
9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
COMMENTARY: This short statement should be interpreted as a command from Jesus to hear God’s spoken voice.
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
COMMENTARY: This question by the disciples does not at first seem important, but the fact that they asked it is one of the markers of a New Covenant disciple: Asking questions. Only curious people will learn how to hear God’s voice. Asking questions is an act of obedience to Jesus’ command to ask for what you want.
People who don’t ask questions when they encounter scriptures that they don’t understand either think they know what it means or they are too proud to show their ignorance by asking. Either way, they will not receive understanding because they fail to ask for understanding.
STUDY TIP: See this link and this link for more about asking questions.
11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
COMMENTARY: This is Jesus’ reply to the disciples’ question about why he always speaks in parables. In effect, he says that because you are curious about the spiritual meaning of parables you will receive understanding of the MYSTERY of God and the secret meanings of parables.
Knowledge of mysteries and secrets is only available to New Covenant disciples. This knowledge comes to them by the power of the spirit of God.
Knowledge of the secrets of heaven has not been given to Old/First Covenant religious people. Their knowledge is limited to whatever they learn from the literal, written Bible and religious teachers who teach from the literal Bible.
Religious leaders believe that they understand scripture and proudly claim that they have a special calling from God to explain scripture. They use their natural talents and abilities to convince followers that they understand the Bible.
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- They are very clever at creating believable explanations out of their own minds.
- They study the literal Bible extensively and can quote from it.
- They have charismatic personalities that makes them believable.
- They are good speakers/teachers.
- Most receive education and training in religious rituals and traditions that equips them to lead people in religious practices.
- They are so confident in their knowledge and skills that they have no shame in hiring out their services to people who will pay them for their teaching.
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This is the foundation of commercial religion. There is always a market for and a chance for Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Deacons, Overseers, Rabbis, Popes, Missionaries and Evangelists to earn an income selling their knowledge and services to religious people who don’t know that God’s word and God’s grace are free. This is the essence of Old/First Covenant religion.
For all these reasons and more, God considers the trust that Jews and Christians put in their religious leaders to be equivalent to idolatry.
Because religious leaders and their followers are in an idolatrous, Old/First Covenant relationship, neither will understand the meaning of parables. The only people with a hope of understanding parables are New Covenant disciples.
STUDY TIPS: See this link, this link, and this link for understanding of knowledge and wisdom.
12 For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
COMMENTARY: The subject of this verse is God’s spoken voice. The subject is not anything material like money. What people are given and what they have is his voice. The verse can be rightly rephrased like this:
Whoever asks to hear God’s spoken voice can expect to hear God’s voice more often and more clearly. Whoever does not ask to hear God’s voice and does not listen to hear it while studying the Bible will lose even the little knowledge he already has of God, and God will not give him/her eyes to see and ears to hear his voice. And the reason he does not give them that ability is that they choose to listen to religious leaders.
New Covenant disciples have God’s words/laws stored in their hearts. Old/First Covenant religionists may have some minimal, elemental knowledge of God, but if they don’t ask to hear God’s voice, they will lose the little that they have.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
COMMENTARY: Religious people read the Bible with their natural eyes and understand with their natural mind. They hear the teachings of their religious leaders with their natural ears, and understand what they hear with their natural minds.
From their reading and the teachings of religious leaders they only understand the literal Bible. Their focus is always on what they see and hear with their natural eyes and ears which is flesh. They do not understand that the flesh counts for nothing. Understanding comes only to people who listen with their heart. Because they do not listen with their heart, they do not understand.
STUDY TIPS: See How to Hear God’s Spoken Voice for instruction on how to hear with your heart.
14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: ‘You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
COMMENTARY: See Commentary above for understanding of why people do not understand.
Jews and Christians have the ability to see and hear with their natural eyes and ears, but they do not have the ability to see and hear with their hearts. That is why they do not understand the teachings of Jesus and the prophets who always spoke in parables.
The meanings of parables are clear and understandable to New Covenant disciples because they have clean, pure hearts.
The meanings of parables are vague and impossible to understand for Old/First Covenant religionists because they have evil, impure hearts.
STUDY TIP: See this link for more understanding of why God and Jesus always spoke in parables.***
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.’
COMMENTARY: Everyone who believes that all scripture is God-breathed and useful for training in righteousness will consider that these verses apply to them. People who are very proud about their religious knowledge, however, will think that these verses apply only to Jews in Jesus time and not to themselves because they have put their trust in Jesus. The fact that they think this way is evidence that their heart has grown dull and that their ears are heavy of hearing and that they are spiritually blind.
The root of the problem is that religious people interpret scripture literally — not symbolically — and do not listen to hear God’s voice with their heart. Jesus is saying here that they would be healed of their spiritual blindness if they would listen to his words which he speaks for God. To do that, however, they must first turn (i.e. repent) from the practice of listening to false prophets.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 “Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
COMMENTARY: ***
24 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'” 31 Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” 34 All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. 41 The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. 51 “Have you understood all this?” They said to him, “Yes.”
Matthew 28:18-20 KJV: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying , All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo , I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
COMMENTARY: The end of the world in this scripture is not the end of the physical, natural world. It is the end of the religious world. This is the destruction that God has in view when he commanded Israel to destroy all the nations and cities that occupied the Promised Land.
See this link for more about the end of the world and end times.
The end of the religious world is another way of acknowledging the destruction of Satan’s kingdom and replacement with God’s kingdom. This is what is meant by overcoming.