Metaphor

There are a lot of metaphor terminology floating around in the Bible and when people talk abut the Bible.

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. Unlike a simile that states that something is "like" another the metaphor states treats things as the same.

A metaphor may be a figure of speech that refers, for rhetorical effect, to one thing by mentioning another thing. An entire story may be a metaphor or allegory where the events are actually representing complex relationships and instructions in a dramatic narrative, parable or poem rather than a technical explanation.

A metaphor is a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract.

The Hebrew Bible abounds in metaphors and other figurative speech. So there is and importance of the study of scripture to distinguish these allegoryfor the interpretation of biblical texts. But there is a reason for them and no amount of study will guarantee your understanding.

• 2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

But if you unmoor the symbol from the meaning of the author or focus on the object rather than the concept it is meant to represent instead of clarifying you will confuse, instead of enlightenment you will mislead yourself in to deception and delusion.

• "Most mistakes in philosophy and logic occur because the human mind is apt to mistake the symbol for the reality." Albert Einstein

• "When a symbol unmoors itself from what it symbolizes, it loses meaning. It becomes ineffective”  Albert Einstein

Instead the objects and metaphor within an allegory becomes an idol and the instruction is lost. The purpose of biblical parables was to actually keep people from understanding the kingdom who would reject the instruction yet pass the message on from generation to generation. There are several reasons for this but first we must understand that the Kingdom of God is revealed not by flesh and blood but by the Spirit of God writing in your hearts and minds.

One of the ways you know people are not getting inspiration from God is that they seem to confuse the metaphor and the parables so that they misinterpret the symbols. One of the ways you know they may be getting inspired is they are able see the pieces and how they fit together within the whole text, meaning and message of the Bible.

The reason they are not getting it is because to know and understand you must go into the dark chambers of your heart and allow the light to be turned on.

There are many things we do not want to see about ourselves but we must. When we try to be doers of the word we will by our nature come into the presence of our sins. They will bubble up in our face. To see and understand and hear God in our hearts we must learn to be quiet in our minds.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

When we are still we can allow ourselves to hear God in our hearts and in our minds.

The Bible uses the words left and right in reference to seats of government and duties of people.

The right hand is the hand that holds a sword, carries the power to wield authority and administer justice while the left hand or the sets on the left side is often for alms or charity and of course mercy. The right and left hand of the law is justice and mercy.

So when the apostles desired the right and left hand seats in the kingdom they were asking for control over these two jobs in government, justice and mercy.

While a government may have both law enforcement and charitable welfare duties in truth every judge or jury has both the duty of ministering or administering justice and mercy.

If a couple walks down the street arm in arm the women might be on the left by custom and in some cultures they did that so that his right hand would be free. But to make things like that rule would unmoor the symbol especially for left handed men.

We must always remember that these thing are representative or symbolic only. The people have their own left and right hand. They have them to use to fulfill all the duties of society imposed by God.

The people have their own duty to God and must use their own left and right hand to perform that duty if they are to remain free in a state of nature.

Every man and woman should attend to justice and mercy in all that they do.

Every family as the first body politic must attend to the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. Law includes justice and mercy and faith includes the probity that spurs us into action.

Most governments are instituted by men although God instituted the power of man to create governments. But Church was instituted or established by Christ.

The Church is the Bride of Christ.

Christ is the king and one with God the Father.

So what is the role of the Church in the governing of man?

The Church is one form of government but it cannot exercise authority one over the other but it is to be a Benefactor of the people and provide a Daily ministration.

I have actually heard people suggest that the church, meaning the ministers, are the servants of the people. While the Church should serve the needs of the people in a way that strengthens the people. An “Elder” or head of the family is not the “representative husband” of the Bride of Christ.

The people are the Children of God not the husband of the Church.

The Church has been trusted with a job of Pure Religion in the world.

The Church is not a Sovereign entity but a Sacred entity. It does not make law but it is not of the world.

Are there any questions?

Some Questions

• What was the bondage of Egypt, and why were we to never go back there again?
• Have people given consent to a social compact that might enslave them, like in the days of Egypt?
• Why would the slothful be under tribute?
• Why did the Corban of the Pharisees make the word of God to none effect?
• Why did Jesus say "Call no man Father upon the earth"?
• Why did Jesus say not to be like the rulers who called themselves Benefactors?
• Why did Peter say covetous practices would make us Merchandise and curse children?
• What did Jesus list off as the Weightier matters?
• Why did Jesus command that the people sit down in Tens?
• What is Religion and what is Pure Religion?
• What was Public religion and the imperial Cult of Rome? How did it differ from Pure Religion practiced by early Christians?
• Why did the Church have a Daily ministration?
• How do the Modern Christians differ from the early Church who followed The Way of Christ?
• What were the deeds of the Nicolaitans, and why did God hate those deeds?
• What was the Christian conflict with Rome?
• Are modern Christians actually workers of iniquity?
• Do people today make covenants with the gods of this world because they love the wages of unrighteousness?
• What is the difference between the Baptism of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Herod or Constantine or Rabbinical Baptism?
• Israel was not to have a golden calf but what did that mean?
• What were the altars of earth and stone?
• What are lively stones?
• Was the Sabbath a way or a day?

More Questions

• Were those rituals of ancient societies merely mindless acts of superstition, or were they metaphors?
• What are the rituals of the Church, and do they point to The Way of Christ and God?
• Could Welfare systems of the world be Snares and Traps?
• And what does this all have to do with Nimrod, Cain and Caesar who called themselves Benefactors but exercise authority one over the other?
• What was the Mark of Cain and the Mark of God and even the Mark of the Beast?
• Did Constantine start a different Church not of Christ?
• Why did the people have to sew Breeches for the Levites?
• What was early Israel like before the Voice of the people rejected God?
• Why were they organized by Tens?
• How was the Early Church funded, and what did they use the funds for?
• Did it operate by force or Freewill offerings?
• Do all governments of the world operate according to the ways of God?
• Or do they operate according to the ways of Cain and Nimrod?
• Who were the Nicolaitans, and what did they do that included the error of Balaam, and why does God hate their deeds?
• What was Christ trying to tell us about the Fathers of the earth and who are they?
• And who is The Beloved Anarchist?
• What do you want to do about all this?

To find the answers, we must seek and strive to do what Jesus said the way He said to do it... Including attending to the Weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith which include caring for the needs of our neighbors and the widows and orphans of our society through Pure Religion in matters of health, education, and welfare. We are NOT to provide for the needy of society through the Covetous Practices and the men who call themselves benefactors but who exercise authority one over the other like the socialists do.

The Way of Christ was like neither the way of the world of Rome nor the governments of the gentiles who depend on those fathers of the earth through force, fear and fealty who deliver the people back in bondage again like they were in Egypt. Christ's ministers and true Christians do not depend upon systems of social welfare that force the contributions of the people like the corban of the Pharisees which made the word of God to none effect. Many people have been deceived to go the way of Balaam and the Nicolaitan and out of The Way of Christ and have become workers of iniquity.

The Christian conflict with Rome in the first century Church appointed by Christ was because they would not apply to the fathers of the earth for their free bread but instead relied upon a voluntary network providing a daily ministration to the needy of society through Faith, Hope, and Charity by way of freewill offerings of the people, for the people, and by the people through the perfect law of liberty in Free Assemblies according to the ancient pattern of Tuns or Tens as He commanded.

The modern Christians are in need of repentance.

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"Follow me!" —Jesus the Christ.

• One of the most important things to do is to become involved in a network of Charitable Practices. Everyone should want to join a Living Network of Love and Charity.

• If you think you have a calling to be a Minister of God or you might want to dedicate your life to Christ as an Ordained Minister of His Holy Church, contact us to start the process of discipleship and become the benefactors who exercise only love, NOT authority.

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Allegory | Metaphor | Sophistry | Strong delusion | Golden calf | Red Heifer |
The Allegories of the Sacred Laws by Philo Judaeus | Priests |
Altars | Clay and Stone | Stones | Stoning | Sabbath | Canaan
Breeches | Cloths of service | Wedding garment | Fringes |
Calendars | One purse | Fathers | Peaceful invasion of Canaan | Trees |

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