ONE FAMILY PLAN
Scripture is ONE big PARABLE, think ALLEGORY
Parable:
[www.thefreedictionary.com] n
1. a short story that uses familiar events to illustrate a religious or ethical point
2. (Christian Religious Writings / Bible) any of the stories of this kind told by Jesus Christ
[www.merriam-webster.com]
specifically : a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.
Allegory:
[www.thefreedictionary.com] n
1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Art Terms) a poem, play, picture, etc., in which the apparent meaning of the characters and events is used to symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual meaning
2. the technique or genre that this represents
3. use of such symbolism to illustrate truth or a moral
4. anything used as a symbol or emblem
"...without a parable He said NOTHING to them." (Matthew 13:34, Amplified)
"I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH WITH A PARABLE; I WILL UTTER HIDDEN THINGS, THINGS FROM OF OLD... THINGS WE HAVE HEARD AND KNOWN, THINGS OUR ANCESTORS HAVE TOLD US."(Psalm 78:2-3)
"LET THE WISE LISTEN AND ADD TO THEIR LEARNING, AND LET THE DISCERNING GET GUIDANCE... FOR UNDERSTANDING PROVERBS AND PARABLES, THE SAYINGS AND RIDDLES OF THE WISE." (Prov 1:5-6)
"SON OF MAN, SET FORTH AN ALLEGORY AND TELL IT TO THE ISRAELITES AS A PARABLE." (Ezekiel 17:2)
"Then I said, 'Sovereign LORD, they are saying of me, ISN'T HE JUST TELLING PARABLES?'" (Ezekiel 20:49)
"TELL THIS REBELLIOUS PEOPLE A PARABLE and say to them..." (Ezekiel 24:3)
"THEN HE TOLD THEM MANY THINGS IN PARABLES, saying: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed...'" (Matthew 13:3)
"The disciples came to him and asked, 'WHY DO YOU SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE IN PARABLES?'" (Matthew 13:10) "...without a parable He said NOTHING to them." (Matthew 13:34, Amplified)
IN PARABLES ONLY so his listeners would NOT understand. He does NOT want them to hear!!
"THIS IS WHY I SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES: 'THOUGH SEEING, THEY DO NOT SEE; THOUGH HEARING, THEY DO NOT HEAR OR UNDERSTAND.'" (Matthew 13:13)
"Listen then to what THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER means..." (Matthew 13:18) "JESUS TOLD THEM ANOTHER PARABLE: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.'" (Matthew 13:24) "HE TOLD THEM ANOTHER PARABLE: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.'" (Matthew 13:31) "HE TOLD THEM STILL ANOTHER PARABLE: 'The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.'" (Matthew 13:33)
"Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; HE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THEM WITHOUT USING A PARABLE." (Matthew 13:34)
"So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: 'I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES, I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.'" (Matthew 13:35)
"LISTEN TO ANOTHER PARABLE: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place." (Matthew 21:33) "JESUS SPOKE TO THEM AGAIN IN PARABLES, saying..." (Matthew 22:1) "So Jesus called them over to him AND BEGAN TO SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES: 'How can Satan drive out Satan?'" (Mark 3:23) "HE TAUGHT THEM MANY THINGS BY PARABLES..." (Mark 4:2)
Those on the 'outside' are NOT to understand!!
"He told them, 'THE SECRET OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU. BUT TO THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE EVERYTHING IS SAID IN PARABLES...'" (Mark 4:11)
ALL parables are alike, commonalities
"Then Jesus said to them, 'DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THIS PARABLE? HOW THEN WILL YOU UNDERSTAND ANY PARABLE?'" (Mark 4:13)
Alike... Similar...
"Again he said, 'What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or WHAT PARABLE SHALL WE USE to describe it?'" (Mark 4:30) "WITH MANY SIMILAR PARABLES JESUS SPOKE the word to them, as much as they could understand." (Mark 4:33)
He said NOTHING WITHOUT PARABLES!!!
"HE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THEM WITHOUT USING A PARABLE. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything." (Mark 4:34)
"JESUS THEN BEGAN TO SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES..." (Mark 12:1) "HE TOLD THEM THIS PARABLE: 'No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.'" (Luke 5:36) "HE ALSO TOLD THEM THIS PARABLE: 'Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?'" (Luke 6:39)
Again, on the testimony of 2 to 3 witnesses, parables are told so the masses will NOT understand!!
"He said, 'THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU, BUT TO OTHERS I SPEAK IN PARABLES, SO THAT, THOUGH SEEING, THEY MAY NOT SEE; THOUGH HEARING, THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.'" (Luke 8:10)
To whomever God chooses, He reveals
"THIS IS THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE: The seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11)
"AND HE TOLD THEM THIS PARABLE: 'The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.'" (Luke 12:16)
"Peter asked, 'LORD, ARE YOU TELLING THIS PARABLE TO US, OR TO EVERYONE?'" (Luke 12:41)
"THEN HE TOLD THIS PARABLE: 'A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.'" (Luke 13:6) "When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, HE TOLD THEM THIS PARABLE..." (Luke 14:7)
"THEN JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES A PARABLE to show them that they should always pray and not give up." (Luke 18:1)
"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, JESUS TOLD THIS PARABLE..." (Luke 18:9)
And only those who are able to hear will hear:
"He that has an ear, let him hear [SPIRITUALLY] what the Spirit says..." (Rev. 2:7) "He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." (Ver. 11) "He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." (Ver. 17) "He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." (Ver. 29) "He that has an ear..." (Rev. 3:8) "He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." (Ver. 13) "He that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." (Ver. 22)
And those who don't hear can NOT hear because they are not of God.
"WHY DO YE [all of us] NOT UNDERSTAND MY SPEECH? EVEN BECAUSE YE CANNOT HEAR MY WORD. Ye are of your father THE DEVIL... He that is of God HEARS God's words [words of SPIRIT, WITH HIS SPIRIT]: ye therefore hear them not, BECAUSE YE ARE NOT OF GOD" (John 8:43-44 & 47).
"But the natural [soulish] man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are SPIRITUALLY discerned." (I Cor. 2:14)
Christ's words ARE 'spirit.'
"the words that I speak unto you, THEY ARE SPIRIT, and they are LIFE." (John 6:63)
Old Testament stories
"I SPOKE TO THE PROPHETS, GAVE THEM MANY VISIONS AND TOLD PARABLES THROUGH THEM." (Hosea 12:10)
Jesus Christ spoke NOTHING to the masses WITHOUT PARABLES!!!
"HE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THEM WITHOUT USING A PARABLE. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything." (Mark 4:34)
"For it is written that Abraham had TWO SONS: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was OF THE BONDWOMAN was born according to the flesh, and he OF THE FREEWOMAN through promise, WHICH THINGS ARE SYMBOLIC. For these are the TWO COVENANTS: the ONE FROM MOUNT SINAI WHICH GIVES BIRTH TO BONDAGE, WHICH IS HAGAR... FOR THIS HAGAR IS MOUNT SINAI in Arabia, and corresponds to JERUSALEM WHICH NOW IS, AND IS IN BONDAGE WITH HER CHILDREN... but the JERUSALEM ABOVE IS FREE, WHICH IS THE MOTHER OF US ALL." (Galatians 4:22-26)
"Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men SYMBOLIC OF THINGS TO COME: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch." (Zech 3:8, NIV)
Jesus Christ IS The Word of God
"His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and HIS NAME IS CALLED THE WORD OF GOD." (Rev 19:12-13)
The Word of God is FILLED WITH PARABLES!! In essence, it is ONE BIG PARABLE!!
