Knowing God’s Unique Language
Almost every religious wrongdoing can be traced back to misuse of God’s spiritual language. The Master Key to grasping God’s Plan of Salvation for ourselves and the world is to understand the intricacies of this language. We struggle in the dark without this understanding; it’s like trying to read the Bible in a foreign language.
The Scripture contains countless mysteries. Believers may derive different messages from a single passage. The main reason is this: God does not always speak the way we do. What is the most distinct feature of His language? It is His abundant use of symbols, allegories, and metaphors. He often clothes spiritual, invisible truths with visible and sensible images, words, and examples. For instance, Jesus said:
“I have come to set the world on fire!”
-Luke 12:14
What exactly does He mean? Many concepts are represented by fire. We can find some of them with the help of our imagination. Fire, for example, is destructive. What did Jesus want to annihilate? Every bad thing, every harmful belief, habit, or thought. Fire also represents movement, action, force, and bravery. The majority of individuals prefer to remain in their small, comfortable comfort zone. Jesus meant to change their dread, complacency, and caution into courage, initiative, and action. He desired to set fire to the callous, careless, complacent, and unfeeling souls. He offered words of advice to the fearful and cautions Jews who were frightened of losing their faith and being misled, such as:
Don’t fear, O little ones! I have come to give you the Kingdom!
-Luke 12:32
He desired to transform “the tiny ones” in the Kingdom of God into “the great ones,” but they were hesitant to take even one step outside of their comfort zone.
As can be seen, symbols have a wide range of meanings. Literal words and conceptions resemble bare huts, but symbolic words and imagery resemble magnificent mansions. Symbolic language abounds in great works of literature and poetry. Spiritual or symbolic language also aids in the visualization of intangible notions through the use of visible, concrete pictures. How much more powerful it is to portray the concept of “spiritual metamorphosis” through a concrete image, such as “being born again” from the earth’s womb into a new, spiritual, and glorious universe.
In His teachings, Jesus meant to challenge us, to push us to think, to search, to dig, and to unearth hidden treasures. That’s why He compared the Heavenly Kingdom—the spiritual term—to a field full of treasure.
Speaking in Parables
Another form of spiritual language is speaking in parables. Each of Jesus’ parables is a priceless gem, containing a wealth of spiritual wisdom. The most beautiful short narrative ever told is the parable of the five wise and five foolish maidens. It is brimming with information and insight. That anecdote alone demonstrates Jesus’ divine status. It demonstrates who He truly was. How could a poor, uneducated man come up with such short stories that contain tremendous amounts of truth and knowledge? Without divine inspiration, he could not have envisioned even one of them. He frequently stated that He did not know anything on His own and that everything He spoke came from His Father.
The Risks of Literal Minds
It is said that people do not throw stones at a fruitless tree. The spiritual language—the Tree of Life—abounds with fruits. All kinds of believers are tempted to throw stones at this tree, hoping that something will fall. Some of the stones hit the branches, instead of the fruits. And sure enough, some branches fall. Believers with grand intentions and illusions, say to themselves: “I can plant the branch and grow a tree for myself.” That is how hundreds, perhaps thousands, of denominations, have kept growing in the hearts and minds of Christians for 2,000 years.
What is the secret to the success of branch-lovers who have planted their branches in the fertile soil of God’s symbolic language? They can choose any meaning they choose and offer it as the absolute truth because that language allows them to generate various meanings from its fertile soil. We may dismiss such misuse, yet the consequences have been fatal. Many people are perplexed as to why religion has resulted in wars. All of those battles may be traced back to religious leaders’ literal and little minds, who worshipped their own shade of meaning in the fertile soil of God’s symbolic language. Did you know that Christians fought to determine if Jesus was God or merely a Savior? What kind of thinking would be against science? Is this a literal or a spiritual question?
Many examples of symbolic or spiritual language will be blogged later, particularly in regard to prophecies; however, until then please read a tiny book called The Four Valleys of the Mind, subtitled: Are you egg-minded, chicken-minded, eagle-minded, or phoenix-minded? if you want to learn about the terrible consequences of restricted and literal minds. Please look over the following resources to learn more about God’s unique language: In the Clouds of Glory, and the Bible’s Mysteries.