Perception of Israel as the story of your life
So, what happens when you begin to consider the alternative perspective of God’s Word where the overall image is perceived as the story of Israel? Essentially, the OT depicts the birth of the nation of Israel, where the twelve sons of Jacob each have a distinct “persona” and unique destiny. God then redeems His “son” out of Egypt after years of slavery (Deut 7:8; 9:26; 13:5), where God then acts by establishing an everlasting covenant with the tribe of Levi. God then proceeds to lead Israel day and night through the wilderness, where God leads them through battles against the kings of the wilderness, starting with a powerful image of warfare (Ex 17:8-16). Then, after crossing the Jordon, Joshua leads the next generation into the land to give Israel a preliminary “rest.” Yet, the story thereafter gets very complicated and weird, where there is the odd time of God raising up the judges, and then the beginning of the kings. Notably, God acts again by establishing another everlasting covenant with David and the tribe of Judah, yet Solomon’s adulterous spirit results in God dividing the nation of Israel. Ultimately, Israel is cast out of the promised land, and the first temple is destroyed. By the end of the OT, the Jews are then depicted as returning to Jerusalem to build the second temple, yet again adulterous spirits are depicted in the heart of Israel. The story of Israel arguably resumes with the NT; however, just looking at the OT images, how are they often perceived?
Consider how teachers of God’s Word frequently employ those initial images of Israel to depict how a person is redeemed from slavery to sin, led through the wilderness of this life, and then led across the river upon death into heaven. God’s Word leads many to that obvious perception of the “personification” of Israel, as God states that He redeemed Jacob, and that He will display His glory through Israel. And, while Paul never explicitly states that he is employing the images of early Israel, his similar depiction of being in bondage to slavery implicitly indicates that his understanding is based on those images. Importantly, beginning in the book of Joshua, commentators note that the twelve tribes of Israel are frequently depicted as a single entity, and sometimes literally as a single person. Notably, God gave Israel his name because he strove with God; so, in God’s eyes, does every person’s life strive with Him.
Presumably, many people can personally relate to those initial images of Israel; however, why does no one dare to extend that obvious personification of Israel beyond the river? Why can we very easily imagine the story of Israel as symbolically depicting our past and our present life, but not our future life? Notably, God’s promise to Abraham is a land with many offspring who would become a blessing to others. So, if we each share in that promise, then what does the image of a certain land portend for our inheritance; and, how should we perceive the image of Abraham’s offspring, the many generations of Israel?
Perhaps the most stunning realization for any Christian should be that religion cannot provide any meaningful understanding of their future inheritance which is being stored up in heaven. None, nada, absolutely not one thing. Perhaps you are told to vaguely imagine a big house in the sky with streets of gold, but does that sound more like a truth of God, or a deception by the god of this world? Yet, what if the OT image depicting a certain land of promise is the same truth as the NT image depicting our inheritance; then, could the OT image of “land” provide an understanding of our inheritance?
Consider how, in God’s eyes, life consists of every step we take (Deut 11:24; Josh 1:3). Similarly, in the NT lingo, is not our life defined as our “walk,” whether it be a walk in the flesh or a walk in the spirit? Arguably, if you allowed yourself to imagine a new understanding of the biblical depiction of land, then the confusing images depicting a long history of Israel’s trials and tribulations in and around the promised land can provide an understanding of God’s plan of salvation for your life. Notably, in the book of Ruth, it is the land that is redeemed (Ruth 4:4). And, with its focus on the land, the book of Joel is not an odd story of locusts literally eating land, rather a profound image of your future. As such, by perceiving the image of land as being a symbolic depiction of life, your imagination will be led to the simplest yet deepest understanding of your future inheritance.
Images of your current life
Of course, religion emphasizes that you are obey God now with your worship, so that you can trust in an unknown future. However, similar to a fetus in the womb, arguably the images of Israel in the wilderness depict that you only need to trust your Father now, and that your opportunities to worship Him will occur in the next age. Critically, Israel never deviated from following God through the wilderness, and God’s complaint of Israel is not that they did not follow Him, rather that they did not trust Him for their provision and protection during those forty years. I suspect many people do not realize that God did not require sacrifices from Israel during the forty years in the wilderness; did you? God later reminds Israel that He required no sacrifices at that time, so should you seriously consider the significance of that image (Jer 7:22; Amos 5:25; Acts 7:42)?
Consider how the law was given to Israel as a guardian during the forty years, just as you perhaps sensed a conviction once the Mt Sinai event occurred in your life. Because, just as God acted in the life of Israel at Mt Sinai by taking one-twelfth of Israel as His possession, arguably He has similarly acted in your life by taking a portion of your soul. Of course, people laugh at my claim that Leviticus 16 will become one of their favorite chapters when they realize how that divine event has actually already occurred “unconsciously” earlier in their life, yet I suspect that many can sense when that moment occurred. I laughed when I realized that there is an angel sitting opposite the devil on my shoulders, because I can now confidently imagine the divine nature and role of the angel (Lev 10:10-11). Arguably, the first change in your perception of scripture will occur when you perceive the image of the priestly prophet as a depiction of an internal voice speaking God’s truths to the rest of you, rather than a person speaking to Jews millennia ago.
While you might currently feel the conviction of sin from the divine priest within your unconscious nature, you should again consider the significance that Israel only needed to trust God for their provision and protection while in the wilderness, and that God did not expect sacrifices from them until much later. Arguably, in this life, you are to similarly trust in His provision and protection, while recognizing that your true sacrificial worship does not start until you cross over the river. Again, religion perceives that the many images to “worship” God are present-day commands; yet, that perceived need for a proper response to God is actually a “yoke” being unwittingly placed upon you by religion. Again, it comes down to one question; when do you imagine that your sanctification will occur; in this life, or after you die?
Images of your future life
Consider when, and how, you will take off the old and put on the new. Do you imagine sanctification as being dunked once in a river, or as being refined by fire over an extended period? And, do you imagine that your particular sanctification will occur essentially unaware to you, as in a “twinkling of an eye,” or as an extended “training process” that will involve your full awareness and participation? Ultimately, should you blindly accept religion’s “peace-peace” message so that you can avoid thoughtful consideration of a much more sobering message? Certainly, the images of Israel after Joshua’s rest are sobering, particularly the depictions of the immoral judges and kings; yet, did God intend those images to provide odd historical facts for no meaningful reason, or to provide insights of your future tendencies that you will battle against?
Consider how God left enemies in the promised land, and His command to rid the land of all evil to possess their inheritance. So, are those battles against forces of evil the same image that Paul depicts as the spiritual warfare that will occur in your life? And, how do you perceive the many OT images of altars being built and torn down, and the doors of the temple being opened or shut? Why does God command everyone to sacrifice only at the altar in the promised land, and that each person could voluntarily decide whether to come? What is being depicted by the OT images of sacrificial worship? Do you perceive that God is depicting how the Jews were to sacrifice animals to show their appreciation and to make appeasement to Him, or how you will one day sacrifice the common “things” of your old life? Which perspective of the images depicting spiritual warfare and sacrificial worship is consistent with the NT images?
Consider how Paul constantly reinforces the image of sacrifice, such as die to self, and to put to death the deeds of the flesh; and how Jesus commands that you are to cut off body parts, deny yourself, and take up your cross. So, are those images intended to command sacrificial worship now, or in the future? Notably, the NT depicts that these OT images are “shadows” of heavenly things; so, do the shadows reveal the mystery of your future salvation, or do you perceive the odd images of animal sacrifice as horrific practices and very boring historical facts? Critically, the moment that you perceive how these practices are intended to depict events of your future life, only then will you begin to understand what it means to worship God.
Perhaps the most significant realization for me was to perceive how the NT images are depicting a continuation of the story of Israel, and not the start of a new story. Because, instead of perceiving the images of Jesus as depicting events of the past, the images become truths depicting profound future realities. And, when you perceive the NT images in their proper context, then the commands and the parables all begin to make sense, albeit in a new way. You will perceive the judgment parables not as depictions of hell, rather that Jesus is depicting various aspects of your sanctification. Also, many other NT commands that now cause confusion and apparent contradiction will then begin to reveal future realities. Consequently, when you can begin to imagine that every image after crossing the river is depicting your future and not past historical events, then you will be approaching God’s Word exactly as He intended. Certainly, your loving Father has provided you a profound understanding of your current life in the womb with the depictions of the wilderness experience, but His primary intent for His Word is to provide an understanding of your future life.
Obviously, I cannot describe how we will truly experience life after death, but my premise is that the powerful ability of our imagination will somehow enable us to continue to experience “conscious” events. Notably, when sharing my thoughts with others, some have suggested how they imagine that we will see spiritual beings, or how we will see the things in heaven. Yet, I do not imagine immediately seeing a new existence, rather that we will continue to “experience” life somewhat as we do today. If I had to guess how we will experience the illusion of reality, then the simplest suggestion is how we experience illusions of reality today; which is, within our subconscious dream world. Yet, the current way that we experience dreams is likely just a taste of things to come, where the illusions experienced during our next life will be more lucid, and certainly more intentional. Critically, the conscious awareness of our “self” will continue; and, while our past experiences will be vividly remembered, this is not a matter of literally “going back” in time. Rather, just as we experience life today, various memories of our past experiences will impact our future experiences. Notably, as will be discussed, there is a clear image that we will experience new challenges in the next life that are not present in this life, such that our future life will not be just about the gods of our past.
What appears particularly clear to me is that we will continue to experience profound events, as God depicts frequently that “then” you will know that I am Lord. Presumably one of those moments will be our “Jericho” experience, where a powerful stronghold is “miraculously” destroyed soon after death. Yet, scripture also depicts two realities as being present after death. One is access to scripture, since not one iota will pass away. The other is access to every moment of our life, since everyone will give an account of every word and deed.
Yet, why would God clearly depict those two images as realities after death if your past is forgotten, and if you are with the physical Jesus? Religion loves to gloss over or soften the image of “giving an account” by claiming that it somehow applies differently for believers versus unbelievers, however religion is being more hopeful than knowledgeable in making that claim. And, the perception that God’s Word will not fail is far more profound than can be imagined if you do not correctly perceive His image of success. Because, if you imagine that scripture is intended just for this life, then your perception of “success” is typically imagined as you doing something in this life, such as accepting Jesus, or by living a better life. And, if that is your perception of success, then you have effectively condemned scripture to being worthless, or nonexistent, in the next life. However, why would God depict that His Word will never pass away if the truth only lasts for this life?
Of course, many naturally assume that the past is gone forever, yet even science has postulated that the perceived passage of time is an illusion in some sense, such that the past does not necessarily cease to exist. The scientific justification for my argument will be presented as part of the end times discussion; yet, consider how scripture clearly depicts that our life will be refreshed and renewed, rather than ceasing to exist. So, while the physical body dies, arguably every past word or deed will continue to exist “as is” until that moment in time is revisited. Notably, since you cannot simply delete a past thought, and since every word or deed is originally conceived by a thought, even your every thought must also be sanctified (2 Cor 10:5). As will be argued, the ultimate question in your future will be; what will you do, say, or think differently when you are given the opportunity to reimagine a past moment?
Consider how religion is persistent in depicting “heaven” as an “escape” from this life. Arguably, while you will most certainly be “saved” from your past life in some sense, your “land” must be redeemed and renewed. So, while it might be a wonderful placebo for a guilty conscience to be able to imagine that your past life is gone forever, that concept is certainly not biblical. Critically, Paul’s brief statement about forgetting the past is prefaced by his strong desire to “attain the resurrection from the dead.” So, if you do not understand what he means by “attaining the resurrection,” then arguably you cannot claim to understand his statement about forgetting the past. From my perspective, there is definitely a future time when a past event is truly forgotten; however, understanding how and when that restoration occurs are key aspects of the mystery of salvation.
Consider again the image of giving an account of your every word and deed, such that you experience the ability to perfectly reimagine every past moment of your life. Obviously, I cannot imagine perfection, but consider the possibility that as you reimagine a moment, you experience the exact same thoughts, feelings, and desires that you had at the original moment. So, could you imagine the joy of not only vividly remembering, but also somehow “experiencing” a past event with your dog Fido, or a time with your grandchild, or with whomever whenever? Perhaps your experience of joy will be even greater than the original moment, because the relived experience will cause you to have a newfound appreciation for the absolute love of God. Perhaps you will not truly believe in God until you experience your life after your death. Of course, even Christians wonder if they will “see” loved ones after death, particularly those who do not believe what they believe, and my claim is that you will reimagine every past moment, albeit with a guiding hand.
Early images in the promised land
Repeatedly, I have realized surprising aspects about scripture, such as how the story of Israel literally flows from one book to the next. Importantly, depictions of Israel in the promised land are actually provided by prophetic images from earlier books, so those are essential inferences for a complete understanding of the books of Joshua and Judges. Chapter twelve will focus on the images in greater detail, but consider a few highlights.
Obviously, a primary image of God depicted throughout the story of Israel is His jealousy, with Israel often being warned not to worship the gods of other nations. Of course, you likely imagine idols of gold, silver, wood, and stone as literal things, but are your wisdom and your pride blinding yourself? Again, without a proper perception of the image of worshipping idols, then you cannot perceive the image of serving the true God. Profoundly, Joshua warns Israel that, instead of serving God, that they will serve either the gods that their fathers served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land they were living. So, what “gods” is Joshua depicting?
Similarly, consider the image of God “testing” Israel, either by causing them to remember the wilderness years, or by allowing some of the gods to remain in the land. Of course, the question is whether the test is for Him to discover the state of a heart, or whether His intent is to reveal the state of a heart. Obviously, since God knows the heart, and Joshua proclaims that they will be “unable” to serve the Lord, the intent is to reveal Israel’s heart to himself. Yet, if they are only able to serve idols, and if one is destroyed or perishes from the land by serving the idols, then does a test serve a logical purpose if death is a certainty?
Certainly, it sounds preposterous to consider that the events of the story of Israel after crossing the river are intended to depict your life after death, particularly with images of Israel being tested in the land. And, if you perceive life after death as an image of only holiness, then it is likely impossible to imagine that God will be testing you in any manner. Yet, if you perceive that your sanctification occurs after your death, then consider briefly how these images could be depicting future events.
Consider how the priests are depicted as leading Israel across the river with the ark, and with stones being set as memorials, and how the angel of the Lord depicts the land as being holy. Also, how Israel is never depicted as “crying out” to God in the entire book of Joshua, and how few images of sacrifices occur during this period. Critically, after an undefined long period of time, Israel is given a rest by Joshua (the Hebrew version of the name Jesus), who is also depicted as accomplishing many victories while Israel takes possession of the promised land. This vagueness in the time period is uncommon in scripture; however, at some point after crossing the river, arguably a time unique to each of us, everyone will experience a sense of rest, contrary to the perception of religion.
Consider how, at the death of Joshua, enemies are depicted as remaining in the land, and how Israel must conquer them to fully possess the land. As we will learn, Joshua’s rest is not yet the “sabbath day’s rest” as depicted in the book of Hebrews. Instead, at this point in the story, scripture depicts how God resumes the process of renewal by raising up judges. So, why would God “raise up” leaders from the various tribes of Israel? Frankly, this is a very difficult image to consider, but allow me to share a perception that makes sense within the big picture.
Arguably, God’s intent for raising up leaders from the different tribes is to increase the self-awareness of the nature of Israel; because, whereas Israel was previously depicted simply as a “nation” redeemed from captivity, led through the wilderness, and given a preliminary rest, the images now begin to focus on the particular natures of the various tribes of Israel. Notably, contrary to the period of Joshua, Israel is frequently depicted as calling out to God during the period of judges; yet, there are still no images of proper worship depicted in the life of Israel.
Consider the possibility that, at some point after Joshua’s rest, you sense changes in the way you reimagine a past moment. Perhaps you not only experience your thoughts and desires, but you also sense an awareness of the spiritual elements that created those thoughts and desires in that moment. Such that, just as when you were a newborn baby, and you learned how your various physical body parts enable you to experience life, you will also gain an awareness how the various parts of your spiritual body actually cause you to experience life as you do. Arguably, God will bring forth various spiritual elements to the forefront of your consciousness, such that for the very first time you will begin to appreciate the true nature of your soul. And, considering the events, God depicts a sobering image of what life looks like when we do what is right in our own eyes.
Consider the possibility that you will also sense a new ability to influence various spiritual elements; such that, by encouraging or discouraging some of those elements, the past moment can actually be changed more towards your preferred experience. Consequently, while everyone currently fantasizes what “could have been” if the past were different, perhaps you will realize the ability to experience a different outcome of a past event. Perhaps your prayers and desires that were not fulfilled in this lifetime will be fulfilled in the next, such that your appreciation for the power of prayer will be better realized after your death. Notably, religion is correct in claiming that your life should be transformed; yet, that transformation is not about improving your behavior for the remaining years of your current life, rather your transformation is about the future renewal of your life from birth. Because, not only is your past not forgotten, rather your future becomes all about your past. Therefore, instead of imagining going to heaven and literally leaving this life behind by forgetting your past, your future life becomes all about literally transforming every moment of your past life.
Of course, after experiencing this ability to transform your past life, you will likely begin to wonder why God’s Word is being made available. Arguably, you will begin to notice how your various spiritual elements are acting similarly to the images being depicted in God’s Word, such that you will then realize the significance of the hidden wisdom within scripture. That is, the profound knowledge that provides insight into your future tendencies, so that you begin to perceive the biblical stories as forewarnings exactly as claimed by Paul. Therefore, instead of the perception of being essentially worthless after your death, scripture will be perceived as the sole source of understanding to guide you through your future life. So, will you require that your death must first occur before you will allow yourself to begin to appreciate God’s intent for His Word?
Interestingly, when I share this scenario, the typical response is not wanting to relive life; yet, will you have the option to refuse giving an account of every moment? Importantly, if you seriously consider the profound implications of this scenario, then perhaps you will begin to reconsider your understanding of this life, and why you should fear God one day testing you. Need I say that we are attracted to our sinful desires, because why else would we devote so much time trying to fulfill them?
Arguably, the rest given by Joshua depicts a wonderful sense of peace and forgiveness for every event experienced in this life; yet, evil is depicted as still being present in the land. Certainly, religion’s perception of heaven depicts a very attractive future, whereas the images of the judges and the kings depict that we will each have a very challenging life after a preliminary rest. Critically, as depicted repeatedly for Israel, we will still each have our particular “sin of Jeroboam” that will cause us to sin; so, can you appreciate the profound significance of this image? Because, if you realized that everyone is destined to fight their own spiritual war against their own particular sinful nature, then might you look at them now with more compassion?
Certainly, I expect that no one will give any credence to my depictions of life after death, but I hope you will fully consider my effort to understand why I believe strongly in these images. Notably, if you accept the logic of the fetus scenario, such that you expect scripture is intended to prepare you for your future, then you should be looking for these images. Also, you should expect that God would depict images of your spiritual nature, and that is exactly what He does in the story of creation. Whereas religion perceives early Genesis as the creation of the temporal world, the images actually begin to depict the nature of the world within each person, and what it means to be made in the image of God. Arguably, you need to perceive the nature of God before you can perceive your own nature, such that you can begin to imagine the battlefield destined for your future.
Nature of God and man
Consider how you can function as a human being even if you do not understand the functions of your brain, heart, or lungs. Even newborn babies can function without any knowledge of their internal organs; however, even a simple understanding of those major organs provides valuable insight into the nature of your physical body. Similarly, even a simple understanding of your spiritual body provides valuable insight into your human nature. And, since we are made in God’s likeness, we should first consider how scripture depicts the nature of God so that we can simply understand our own nature.
Theologians have forever struggled with the nature of God, and the prevailing theory is that the Godhead somehow exists as a trinity, where there is one entity with three distinct natures. Religion will often tell you to imagine God as three persons, however, that image is never depicted anywhere in scripture; and, since God is “spirit,” imaging a spiritual element as a “person” is fraught with potential misperceptions. Arguably, a critical perception is to realize that the relationships between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are clearly depicted in God’s Word, and our understanding of our nature should be based primarily on those images.
Consider how scripture states explicitly that the Godhead has a soul, and how God the Father is frequently depicted as having the soul’s characteristics of a mind, will, and emotion. Also, how the Holy Spirit is called the “helper,” similar to the depiction of Eve, and who is frequently depicted as having the deeper characteristics of intuition, inclination, and inspiration. Most importantly, how scripture repeatedly depicts Jesus as the perfect manifestation or representation of the character of God, and Jesus Himself tells us that every word He speaks and every deed He performs is from the Father (e.g., John 14:10). Therefore, as will be argued, you should consider the incarnate Jesus who walked this earth as a perfect physical manifestation of the Father as He was inspired by the Holy Spirit, such that every word and every deed expressed by Jesus was conceived through the process of a “pure thought” from the Soul of God (i.e. the Father) joining with a “holy desire” from the Spirit of God (i.e. the Holy Spirit).
Arguably, the image of you being made in the likeness of God, male and female, is a depiction of having the same two distinct spiritual elements of a soul and a spirit, such that the joining together of those two spiritual elements similarly conceive a certain character (i.e. son, seed, or offspring) who brings forth the words and deeds that you manifest in your temporal life. Therefore, you are also a perfect physical manifestation of your particular “spiritual nature” exactly as Jesus depicts Himself, such that everything you say and do is literally determined by the nature of your spiritual elements.
Yet, while our thoughts and desires similarly join together to manifest our words and deeds, our spiritual elements are not yet pure nor holy, so the nature of every work manifested by us in this life is not holy nor godly, rather common or profane. Notably, the biblical images of common and holy are discussed in the chapter on the perception of sin, but the pertinent point is that everyone’s current life is solely a walk on the wide path. So, what is required such that every step of your life becomes a perfect walk consisting solely of holy words and deeds that are performed upon the straight and “narrow” path?
Before that question can be addressed, there are two critical images to consider in the creation account, and the first is the image of the “creeping things that creep on the earth” that man is intended to rule over (Gen 1:26). Of course, I suspect that you imagine mankind literally ruling over physical fish, birds, and beasts; however, consider that Solomon was renown for his “wisdom” of those creatures (1 Kings 4:33). So, what is God also wanting your soul and spirit to wisely rule over? Notably, God’s Word is full of images depicting fish, birds, and beasts; so, are you naively forgoing an abundance of God’s wisdom by simply imagining literal creatures of this world (e.g., Hab 1:14). As is the case throughout this effort, my goal is not to make an argument for the specific meaning of any one image, rather to support the argument that symbolism is intended. And the pertinent perception is that God depicts the existence of both “clean” and “unclean” fish, birds, and beasts in your world.
Of course, religion perceives that God distinguishes between the clean and unclean for dietary reasons; however, the images reveal profound understanding when you perceive why God is depicting the things that your particular soul must rule over, and how every person receives a unique combination of things. Because, just as Jesus depicts of Himself, no thought, word, nor deed is actually “created” by you; rather, every “thing” was uniquely created and selectively placed in your world by God. Such that, Einstein’s ability to perceive the theory of relativity was not a proud accomplishment of his natural intelligence, rather a gift of many thoughts from God. Of course, discerning how your thoughts, words, and deeds are employed in your life requires that you understand who is currently ruling your life, and that understanding of your spiritual nature is provided by the second critical image depicted in early Genesis.
In Genesis 3, God depicts a world where there exists not just male and female (i.e. the elements of soul and spirit), but also a third element as depicted by the serpent. Arguably, the image of the serpent is depicted in various ways throughout scripture, and the consistent impression is the image of an element that promotes the importance of “self” over God. And, as we are later told, this element is currently the ruler of your world, yet God indicates that He has a plan to overcome the “offspring” of that element (Gen 3:15). Critically, as will be argued, Daniel’s first dream interpretation affirms this image of your nature by his depiction of the four kingdoms; where the first kingdom is to rule over the sons, beasts, and birds, the second kingdom is inferior, a third kingdom will rule over the land, but a fourth kingdom will ultimately rule (Dan 2:38-39, 44).
Daniel’s depiction of three kingdoms, with the future promise of a fourth kingdom, reveals a simple yet deep understanding of your nature now, and of your future salvation. Because, just as your brain, heart, and lungs are each complex organs that interact in complex ways, your spiritual elements consisting of soul, spirit, and flesh each have their own complexity, and they relate to each other in complex ways. And, while God intended your soul and spirit to serve Him, your flesh is currently the ruler of your life, and the one who is demanding your worship. Yet, as Daniel depicts, a kingdom of saints is destined to rule your world, and how that mystery of salvation will occur in your eternal existence is clearly depicted in the story of Israel. Of course, from a literal historical perspective, the images from early Genesis and Daniel could never be perceived as similarly depicting images of the nature of both God and man; however, from a symbolic perspective, they both reveal a consistent and profound understanding of your eternal life.
At this point, I need to interject an image depicted by Matthew. Because, while Daniel affirms the image of four “kingdoms,” Matthew affirms the image of four “ages” with his depiction of three groups of generations leading up to the birth of Jesus. Matthew starts his account with the generations being grouped from Abraham to David, David to the Babylon captivity, and the captivity to the messiah. Arguably, religion is clueless as to why Matthew distinguishes the three ages, and the fourth age to follow; yet, when you perceive the answer to that question, then you will have a very simple yet a very deep understanding of God’s plan for your life over your entire eternal existence. Importantly, neither Daniel nor Matthew create the truth of four kingdoms existing over four ages, rather they each provide an affirming image of God’s plan as depicted by all of scripture. Notably, the second age begins with the image of David.
Arguably, other than perhaps the anointing of the priesthood, the highlight of the OT story of Israel is the anointing of David. Because, whereas the anointing of the tribe of Levi occurred within a selective part of your soul’s subconscious nature, the anointing of the house of David depicts how and when God will selectively begin His work of salvation within a very small part of your soul’s conscious nature. Such that, David’s anointing depicts how God will begin the fourth kingdom of saints within your tribe of Judah to become a partaker of the divine nature. Notably, the images of “becoming gods” and being “godly” will make sense when you perceive how those images are depicting what is destined to occur within selective parts of your soul, and not to you as a whole person. Again, religion wants you to imagine how you should act, or not act, as David did; however, is that the message that God is intending you to imagine by the depiction of His anointing of the house of David?
Reimagining every image in context
My objective is not to convince you of my perception of any particular image, because only you can convince yourself, and only by considering God’s inferences of the intended meaning. Again, recalling the implication of the illusion of two women, every image must be perceived in the context of the overall image, so every image is symbolically not as it appears literally. And the bible is a big book, so there are hundreds of images to be reimagined, or else you will never perceive God’s thoughts.
So, my intent is to provide a sense of the new line of thinking that results from the logical symbolic perspective of scripture. Because, instead of perceiving the bible as simply providing the “basic information before leaving earth” as religion argues, when you approach scripture to seek God’s symbolic meaning of every image, then you will reimagine the significance of the story of Israel, and the significance of David within the context of that story. And, when you can perceive the symbolic intent of the OT images, then the intended meaning of the NT images within the context of the story will become more apparent.
Certainly, religion tells you to imagine that the NT is all about Jesus and His message of good news, but you will discover that God’s intended perception of the images of His Son and the gospel message is more profound than you could ever imagine. Frankly, though I perceive a new understanding of the images, I am hesitant to truly believe the logical conclusions regarding the nature of God and the reality of life, so I concede my doubt. Yet, from the beginning, my primary goal has been to convince you to consider why the symbolic perspective is far superior to the alternative literal historical perspective.
I sincerely wish that you would just ignore everything you have ever been told about scripture, and that you would start with a clean slate while reimagining the images with an “open” mind. Because, for me, the very existence of God is ultimately proven by His Word, because only a supreme being could write over a millennia sixty-six books clearly conveying a consistent series of images which symbolically depicts your unobservable world. Arguably, you cannot make that claim if you approach God’s Word with a earthly perspective; however, you will certainly know that there is a God when you personally experience your internal prophet opening up scripture to give your imagination God’s symbolic understanding of your entire eternal life.
Arguably, since scripture depicts that Jesus came to save you from the power of your enemies, which are the spiritual forces of sin “within” you, and that your war will be fought on a spiritual battlefield against enemies who are solely members of your own household, then you should be able to reimagine why God gave you the story of Israel as guidance for your future. And, if you accepted the logical arguments that you have a very complex spiritual nature, and that you should be approaching scripture with a symbolic perspective, then my effort would be moot, because you would also be well on your way towards perceiving God’s lines of thinking.
Or, you can continue to literally imagine images of slaves being beaten, or rebellious sons and adulterous women being stoned, such that you either ignore the confusing images, or you decide that all religions are false belief systems created by mankind. Religion suggests that you seek a vague relationship with God, rather than seeking His perceptions of His book to you. Which perspective would the fetus imagine was his father’s wish?
Next: Chapter 4